TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Nick de Bois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of abolishing air passenger duty bands D and C and moving all countries in those bands into air passenger duty band B;
	(2)  what representations he has received in favour of abolishing air passenger duty bands D and C and moving all countries in those bands into air passenger duty band B.

Nicky Morgan: Estimates of the level of air passenger duty rates required to deliver a broadly revenue neutral move to a two band system were published in the 2011 consultation document available at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130129110402/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_airpassenger.htm
	Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations as part of the process of policy development and delivery. The Treasury publishes a list of ministerial meetings with external organisations, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury/series/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Banks: China

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for regulation of the operations of Chinese banks in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Prudential Regulation Authority is an independent regulator. The Government has no power to intervene in the PRA’s regulatory policies or practices, its decision-making or its day-to-day operation. The Chancellor has no plans to make statement on the regulation of Chinese banks in the UK.

Business: Loans

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Funding for Lending scheme on lending to small businesses.

Sajid Javid: The Funding for Lending Scheme was introduced in August 2012. In the three months to October, the latest data available, gross lending was £1.5 billion higher than the same period a year ago.
	Surveys also show improvements in the cost of credit to SMEs. For example, the Federation of Small Businesses survey reported that the average interest to small firms in Q3 has fallen to 5.5%, down from 6.3% a year before.
	The changes to the extension announced last week will refocus the scheme towards supporting SME lending.

Child Tax Credit

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons under the age of 25 were in receipt of child tax credit in each of the last four financial years; and how many of those were (a) in employment and (b) not in employment; and what the average award of child tax credit was per week for each of those groups (i) with one child, (ii) with two children and (c) with three or more children.

Nicky Morgan: The level of child tax credit payments a claimant is eligible for is dependent on a number of factors, with household income being just one of them. These include the number of children and disability status,
	Tax credit statistics are available on the Tax Credits Provisional Awards Statistical publication produced in April 2013, and covers the UK as a whole. This can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-main-stats.htm#7
	The Government is taking steps to ensure that spending on welfare is sustainable by making sure that work pays, while also supporting those most in need. It is rewarding work by:
	Raising the personal allowance to £9,440 and announcing a further increase to £10,000 from April 2014. The combined effect of all personal allowance increases announced by this Government will be to remove 2.7 million low income individuals, under 65, out of income tax altogether from April 2014.
	Developing a new Tax-Free Childcare Scheme to expand support for affordable child care to 2.5 million families; and
	Introducing universal credit to make the benefits of work clearer and simpler, with the aim of offering a smooth transition into work and encouraging progression in work.

Housing: Prices

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the Funding for Lending Scheme on house prices in each region and constituent part of the UK in the last two years.

Sajid Javid: The Funding for Lending Scheme was introduced against a background of elevated bank funding costs for UK banks. The scheme aimed to ease credit conditions to the UK economy as a whole. Given the successful developments in household credit conditions, the Bank and HM Treasury announced on 28 November that the extension would be refocused to support business lending.
	Against the changing conditions in the housing market, house prices have been stable across most UK regions over the last two years.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2013, Official Report, column 943W, on secondment, how many staff in his Department were seconded from trades unions in the same period.

Nicky Morgan: Since 2010 there have been no secondees from the trade unions working in the Treasury.

Sovereignty: Scotland

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the potential changes to UK borrowing costs if Scotland were to become an independent country; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: Together, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland enjoy low borrowing costs. If Scotland became an independent country, the continuing UK's borrowing costs would not be expected to change. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research have estimated that Scotland's borrowing costs would rise following independence, between 0.7 and 1.65 percentage points above UK borrowing costs. (Independence would likely lead to an increase in funding costs for mortgage lenders. A 1% cent rise in effective mortgage rates would equate to £1,300 on the typical Scottish mortgage).

Welfare Tax Credits

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of child tax credit but not working tax credit have an annual household income for tax credit purposes of between (a) £5,000 and £5,999, (b) £6,000 and £6,999, (c) £7,000 and £7,999, (d) £8,000 and £8,999 and (e) £10,000 and £16,190; and how many (i) children and (ii) two year old children live in each such household.

Sajid Javid: holding answer 9 September 2013
	The level of child tax credit payments a claimant is eligible for is dependent on a number of factors, with household income being just one of them. These include the number of children and disability status.
	Tax credit statistics are available on the Tax Credits Provisional Awards Statistical publication produced in April 2013, and covers the UK as a whole. This can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-main-stats.htm#7
	The Government is taking steps to ensure that spending on welfare is sustainable by making sure that work pays, while also supporting those most in need. It is rewarding work by:
	Raising the personal allowance to £9,440 and announcing a further increase to £10,000 from April 2014. The combined effect of all personal allowance increases announced by this Government will be to remove 2.7 million low income individuals, under 65, out of income tax altogether from April 2014.
	Developing a new Tax-Free Childcare Scheme to expand support for affordable child care to 2.5 million families; and
	Introducing universal credit to make the benefits of work clearer and simpler, with the aim of offering a smooth transition into work and encouraging progression in work.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Charitable Donations

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to encourage employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office informs employees how to make tax-free donations directly from their salaries through its intranet, which includes a payroll giving section and occasional news stories about the scheme. The Home Office recommends that staff thinking of giving to charity do so through payroll giving on the basis that it is a safe, simple and tax-effective way to make a donation. In addition, arrangements have been made for payroll giving representatives to visit the Home Office to raise awareness of the scheme.

Demonstrations

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are deployed to the Barton Moss drilling site protest area; and what the weekly and total cost of this deployment is expected to be.

Damian Green: The deployment of officers is an operational matter for the chief constable. Information about the costs of this operation is not held centrally.

Discrimination

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to prevent persecution of others on the basis of their hair colour.

Norman Baker: Tackling hate crime is an issue that this Government takes very seriously and everyone has the right to live their life free from the fear of attack or abuse because of who they are. We already have in place one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to protect communities from hostility, violence and bigotry.
	Our hate crime action plan clearly sets out that local areas are free to include other forms of hate crime, for example, hate motivated by hostility towards a person's appearance, age or gender in their hate crime strategies, if these are identified as a local priority.
	The lead for tackling hate crime must come from the local level, with Police and Crime Commissioners, professionals, the voluntary sector and communities working together to deal with local issues and priorities.

Entry Clearances

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family visit visa applications to the UK there were in the years ending 8 July (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013, by (i) overall number of decisions made, (ii) number of family visit visa grants, (iii) number of family visit visa refusals, (iv) number of family visit visa applications withdrawn and (v) number of family visit visa applications which lapsed.

Mark Harper: holding answer 4 December 2013
	The following table shows the statistics for Family Visit visa applications from 2010 to 2013. The numbers relate to main applicants and dependants. The figures for July 2012 to June 2013 are not directly comparable to the figures for July 2010 to June 2011 and July 2011 to June 2012. This is because the definition of a family visitor was changed on 9 July 2012—from that date, a family visitor did not include those visiting aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces or cousins.
	Applicants that are visiting these more distant family members are included in general visitor statistics.
	
		
			  July 2010 to June 2011 July 2011 to June 2012 July 2012 to June 2013 
			 Decisions made 442,473 443,013 276,550 
			 Applications issued 369,269 363,928 222,076 
			 Applications refused 73,204 79,085 54,474 
			 Applications withdrawn 1,029 1,221 840 
			 Applications lapsed 449 254 372

Human Trafficking

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether evidence gathered for the proposed Modern Slavery Bill and the evidence on contemporary slavery supplied by the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group will inform the UK response to proposals for a new instrument to supplement the International Labour Organization Forced Labour Convention.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 3 December 2013
	The Government will take into account the available evidence to inform its response to proposals for a new instrument to supplement the International Labour Organisation Forced Labour Convention.

Immigration

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on discussing individual immigration cases with Ministers from the (a) Scottish Government, (b) Welsh Government and (c) Northern Ireland Executive.

Mark Harper: Ministers of the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive will receive substantive replies to immigration inquiries on individual immigration cases they are raising in their ministerial capacity.

Interpol

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average length of time is between the issue of an Interpol Red Notice and its revocation for (a) a UK citizen and (b) a third country national when issued (i) by and (ii) to the UK;
	(2)  how many Interpol Red Notices have been issued (a) by the UK and (b) against the UK and targeted at (i) UK citizens and (ii) third country nationals in the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many Interpol Red Notices have been issued and then revoked (a) by the UK and (b) against the UK and targeted at (i) UK citizens and (ii) third country nationals in the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 28 November 2013
	Interpol Notices, including Red Notices, are global alerts requested by one member country and circulated to all other member countries simultaneously; they are not targeted at a particular country when they are issued.
	Interpol has a global membership of 190 countries. Each member country maintains an Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB), which, for the UK, is now part of the National Crime Agency (NCA).
	The Home Office does not routinely collect statistical data centrally on Red Notices.
	The most comprehensive source of data that are suitable for comparative purposes on Red Notices is held by the Interpol General Secretariat.
	Interpol General Secretariat data going back to 2004 show that 47,777 Red Notices have been issued since 2004 by all countries and 58 by the UK specifically. Further breakdown of the statistics is only possible on data since 2011.
	The number of Red Notices issued globally since 2011 is 23,720. Of these, 36 were issued by the UK and, of the 36, 18 were for a UK national.
	Interpol Red Notices can be cancelled for a number of reasons, including withdrawal following arrest.
	Of the above global total number of Red Notices since 2011, 6,439 were withdrawn following arrest or revoked for other reasons, with eight being by the UK.
	Using the Interpol data, since 2011, the estimated average length of time between issuing and it being revoked (i.e. excluding where there is an arrest) for all Red Notices is 1,228 days across all Red Notices. Owing to the small number of cases involved (eight), it is not meaningful to provide an average for the number of Red Notices revoked by the UK.
	It is not possible to provide figures for Red Notices for UK nationals issued by other countries.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information was provided to Action Fraud from the Department of Education when that Department first reported fraudulent activity at the Kings Science Academy, Bradford.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 22 November 2013
	When Action Fraud takes a report, the victim or the person reporting is asked to provide as much information as possible concerning the suspect, the victim, how the attempted fraud took place, details of any other organisations that the fraud may have been reported to and any transaction or bank account information that is known to the reporter. Action Fraud also advises those who report to retain documents as they may be used as evidence if the police decide to undertake an investigation. The contents of specific crime reports are confidential, however the victim/person who made the report will be provided with a copy of the report which Action Fraud submitted to the National Fraud Investigation Bureau on request.

Kings Science Academy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bradford East of 20 November 2013, Official Report , column 913W, on Kings Science Academy, when Action Fraud discovered that it had reported the findings of the report on the Kings Science Academy, Bradford to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau as information rather than for investigation.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 28 November 2013
	A request was sent from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) to the National Fraud Authority (NFA) on 1 November which led to a review of the report taken and the error identified.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has given West Yorkshire police a transcript of the evidence submitted to Action Fraud and then passed onto the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau via telephone on 25 April 2013, from the Department of Education about Kings Science Academy in Bradford.

James Brokenshire: City of London police have given West Yorkshire police a copy of the report sent from Action Fraud to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will release a transcript of the evidence about Kings Science Academy in Bradford submitted to Action Fraud and then passed on to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau by telephone on 25 April 2013 from the Department for Education.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 3 December 2013
	The contents of reports taken by Action Fraud are confidential. However the person who made the report can be provided with a copy of the report which Action Fraud submitted to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau on request.

National Fraud Intelligence Bureau

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the policy is of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau on taking evidence from a reporting body (a) by telephone and (b) in writing.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 3 December 2013
	The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau received evidence from a range of reporting bodies such as Action Fraud and Financial Fraud Action UK, which acts on behalf of a number of retail banks. The volume of information received is very high and the Bureau uses computer technology to analyse the data received.
	The bureau has systems in place to transfer information securely from reporting bodies and would not usually accept information by telephone or in writing.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2013, Official Report, column 862W, on secondment, what estimate she has made of the cost of answering the original question.

James Brokenshire: Pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2013, Official Report, column 862W, the estimated cost of collecting data on the number of private sector employees currently seconded to the Home Office would be in excess of £1,800. This exceeds the cost threshold for answering parliamentary questions of £850.

Vetting: Scotland

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the Disclosure and Barring Service has made on initiating a basic disclosure service for England and Wales that would permit the commencement of reforms to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

James Brokenshire: We have been working very closely with the Disclosure and Barring service and with Disclosure Scotland to develop a new Basic Disclosure check that will comply with the new rehabilitation periods, including making the required technical changes. We expect to be able to confirm the implementation timetable shortly.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Charitable Donations

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to encourage its employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries.

Michael Penning: The Department for Work and Pensions operates a payroll giving scheme providing the opportunity for all employees to give regularly on a tax-free basis to charities and good causes of their choice.
	Donations are made from gross pay.
	The Department's fundraising partner provides impartial information, advice and guidance on donating to charities via payroll giving.
	In the six-month period from April to September 2013, DWP employees donated £360,324 to charity via payroll giving.

Employment and Support Allowance

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many men aged 63 who are in receipt of contribution-based employment and support allowance have been called for a work capability assessment in the last 12 months.

Michael Penning: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, columns 361-62W, on employment and support allowance, how many times powers of supersession have been used by his Department's decision makers in relation to employment and support allowance in the last year; and in how many cases the effect of such a supersession was (a) to pay benefit when otherwise it would not have been payable and (b) to withhold benefit when otherwise it would have been payable.

Esther McVey: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Tom Blenkinsop), PQ 177786, 29 November 2013, Official Report, columns 486-87W.

Housing Benefit: Night Shelters

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the recent ruling in OR v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Isle of Anglesey county council.

Esther McVey: There was no change in the law as a result of the judgment; housing benefit rules have not changed; and the Government has no plans to change the current rules for housing benefit and universal credit in respect of meaning of a dwelling for housing benefit purposes.

Jobcentre Plus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, columns 362-63W, on Jobcentre Plus, what assessment he has made of a potential link between an increase in complaints about Jobcentre Plus and the reduction in staff numbers.

Esther McVey: There has been no assessment of any potential link across DWP.
	The number of complaints has increased since the introduction of the new DWP complaints process which was completed in December 2012. However, this was expected as the correct recording of complaints has been encouraged with the use of new/consistent processes across all businesses.
	The number of complaints resolved at first tier has increased dramatically.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time in receipt of jobseeker's allowance is for current claimants in Portsmouth South constituency who are (a) women, (b) men, (c) aged between 16 and 24 and (d) aged over 50.

Esther McVey: Statistics on the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants in Portsmouth South, by age, sex and duration of claim can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp
	Guidance for users can be found at:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp

Occupational Pensions

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of commission claimed by advisors on the auto enrolment pensions market.

Steve Webb: In their report on the workplace pensions market, the OFT stated that commission in automatic enrolment schemes could create a barrier to switching, and recommended that schemes with in-built commission should not be used for automatic enrolment. Research carried out by the DWP found that commission added approximately 0.2%-0.4% to the AMC, As part of our recent consultation on charges, we looked at banning commission in all qualifying schemes. We are now examining the evidence collected during the consultation and will bring forward findings in due course.

Social Security Benefits

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the consequences of continuous payment authorities for those in receipt of social security payments.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions and the Government more generally has concerns about the way in which payday lenders can access money from their customers' bank accounts via continuous payment authority (CPA). We recognise the serious distress to consumers, particularly those in financial difficulty. DWP welcomes the proposals from the new regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to limit the use of CPAs to two attempts. The FCA also proposes to ban CPA part payment, so that a lender can only take payment if the whole owed sum is available in the customer's account. Existing Office of Fair Trading (OFT) guidance restricts lender's ability to use the CPA where this would leave the customer without a subsistence balance and this will become a binding rule under the FCA. This is particularly important given the introduction of universal credit. The FCA has the power to go further on CPAs in future if it deems necessary to protect consumers.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people given a criminal conviction for benefit fraud were given (a) a custodial and (b) a non-custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: The following table shows the number of criminal convictions for benefit fraud offences in years 2010-11 and 2011-12, recorded by the Department as (a) custodial sentences and (b) non-custodial sentences.
	The information for the two years previous is not available. From April 2012 the Crown Prosecution Service took responsibility for prosecuting on behalf of the DWP in England and Wales.
	
		
			 Criminal convictions for benefit fraud offences 
			 Number 
			 Fiscal year Custodial sentence Non-custodial sentence 
			 2010-11 312 7,514 
			 2011-12 403 8,911

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a criminal conviction for benefit fraud for amounts of (a) £0 to £1,000, (b) £1,101 to £5,000, (c) £5,001 to £10,000 and (d) over £10,000 in each of the last five years.

Esther McVey: The following table shows how many people received a criminal conviction for benefit fraud within the specified amounts in England and Wales in the fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12.
	The information for the two previous years is not available. In April 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service became responsible for prosecuting on behalf of DWP in England and Wales and that data is within their ownership.
	
		
			 Number of criminal convictions for benefit fraud offences for overpayment amounts within specified data range in England and Wales 
			 Fiscal year 2010-11 2011-12 
			 £0-£1,000 282 397 
			 £1,001-£5,000 2,941 3,125 
			 £5,001-£10,000 1,871 2,331 
			 Over £10,000 2,083 2,909 
			 Grand total 7,177 8,762 
		
	
	The following table shows how many people in Scotland were recorded as prosecuted for benefit fraud within the specified amounts in the fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13. These results include cases where there is no criminal conviction. Under Scottish legislation the Procurator Fiscal (PF) may dispose of a prosecution by alternative penalty such as a fiscal fine or a fiscal warning letter.
	The information for the three previous years is not available. The PF has ownership of Scottish conviction data.
	
		
			 Number of prosecutions for benefit fraud offences for overpayment amounts within specified Data Range in Scotland 
			 Fiscal year 2011-12 2012-013 
			 £0-£1,000 16 15 
			 £1,001-£5,000 362 424 
			 £5,001-£10,000 301 312 
			 Over £10,000 348 427 
			 Grand total 1,027 1,178

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of benefit fraud were identified in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such cases were prosecuted in court.

Esther McVey: The following table shows the number of cases investigated by the Department's Fraud Investigation Service where a recoverable overpayment was identified in the last five years, and the total number of cases prosecuted for each year.
	
		
			 Fraud Investigation Service 
			 Number 
			  Cases closed with recoverable overpayments Cases prosecuted 
			 2008-09 28,452 8,840 
			 2009-10 37,499 8,198 
			 2010-11 46,238 9,961 
			 2011-12 50,509 n/a 
			 2012-13 35,196 9,836 
			 n/a = Not available.

State Retirement Pensions

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of people that will be in receipt of a state pension in (a) 2015, (b) 2020, (c) 2030 and (d) 2050.

Steve Webb: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Caseload, United Kingdom 
			 Million 
			  2015-16 2020-21 2030-31 2050-51 
			 State pension 13.3 13.0 15.0 17.6 
			 Source: Long-term projections of pensioner benefits expenditure, based on the Office for Budget Responsibility's 2013 Fiscal Sustainability Report, available at Table LTP4 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224087/LTP_Summer_2013_-_no_links_rounded.xls 
		
	
	Figures shown cover the United Kingdom, and UK pensioners resident overseas.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens living abroad who are affected by their state pensions not being uprated in line with inflation.

Steve Webb: No information is available on the nationality or citizenship of state pension recipients; however, there are around 558,000 recipients of the UK state pension living overseas in a country which does not currently receive an annual uprated pension.

Unemployment: Young people

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2013, Official Report, column 137W, on Unemployment: Young People, if he will take steps to persuade the European Commission to modify its proposal for a four month guarantee; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: Following the Commission's original proposal, the European Council agreed a Recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee on 22 April 2013. The Government has been clear; although we agree with the aims of the Youth Guarantee we do not believe a four month guarantee is the best use of funding for the UK, since over 80% of 18 to 24-year-olds flow off of jobseeker’s allowance within six months.

Unemployment: Young people

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2013, Official Report, column 137W, on Unemployment: Young People, whether the UK's allocation of funding under the Youth Employment Initiative is dependent on implementing a Youth Guarantee.

Esther McVey: The UK's allocation of funding under the Youth Employment Initiative is not dependent on implementing a Youth Guarantee.

Unemployment: Young people

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the European Commission press release, MEMO/13/984, of 12 November 2013, whether the UK will submit an Implementation Plan in respect of the European Union Youth Guarantee; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: The UK plans to submit an Implementation Plan. This will describe how current UK actions to tackle youth unemployment meet the broad aims of the Youth Guarantee.

Universal Credit

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that those offering guidance on universal credit have adequate knowledge to deliver the best advice for claimants.

Esther McVey: All DWP staff who are delivering universal credit have undertaken detailed learning and technical training to ensure that they are able to advise claimants. In addition, a new approach providing up to date guidance on universal credit has been launched. This new online service, "Knowledge Management", available to DWP staff, advice groups and claimants alike provides the very latest advice and guidance. In addition, our local authority and other partners have all received awareness and training products to support their own levels of knowledge of universal credit. A partner toolkit, giving key information on the features and benefits of universal credit has also been developed and shared widely through the gov.uk website.

Winter Fuel Payments

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how people can decline to accept the winter fuel payment; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The majority of winter fuel payments are sent out automatically. However, people may write to the Department requesting not to receive a winter fuel payment for future years, either in advance of first getting a payment, or after they have received one or more payments.

Work Capability Assessment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2013, Official Report, columns 520-21W, on work capability assessment, if he will make it his policy to collect such information.

Michael Penning: We have no plans to collect this information at this time.

Work Programme

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many voluntary sector organisations are currently in the Work programme supply chain; and what proportion of that supply chain they constitute.

Esther McVey: Details on the organisations helping to deliver the Work programme through prime providers' supply chains are published periodically. Voluntary and community sector organisations still represent the largest share of the supply chain, with 43%. The latest information, as at 31 March 2013, can be found through the following link. The proportions in the private, voluntary and public sectors can be calculated from this data:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/organisations-that-supply-services-to-the-work-programme-providers

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

David Morgan

John Woodcock: To ask the Attorney-General if he will review the sentences of the individuals convicted in relation to the death of Mr David Morgan on 18 June 2013.

Oliver Heald: Yes, we are doing so.

Domestic Violence: Convictions

Helen Jones: To ask the Attorney-General what the rate of convictions for domestic violence cases tried in (a) domestic violence courts and (b) other courts has been in each year since the domestic violence courts were introduced.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the numbers of domestic violence flagged cases in its Case Management System and associated Management Information System.
	The CPS defines domestic violence as any threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between those who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Family members include mother, father, son, daughter, sister, and grandparents, whether directly related, in-laws or step family. The data are accurate only to the extent that the flag has been correctly applied.
	The CPS has no central record of the number of domestic violence cases completed successfully or unsuccessfully at specialist domestic violence courts.
	The following table shows, for each of the last nine years, in all courts, including specialist domestic violence courts, the number and rate of convictions for defendants identified as committing offences involving domestic violence.
	
		
			  Convictions 
			  Number Percentage 
			 2004-05 19,468 55.1 
			 2005-06 30,213 59.8 
			 2006-07 37,505 65.2 
			 2007-08 43,977 68.9 
			 2008-09 48,465 72.2 
			 2009-10 53,347 72.0 
			 2010-11 59,101 71.9 
			 2011-12 58,138 73.3 
			 2012-13 52,549 74.3 
		
	
	Convictions represent all outcomes where defendants pled guilty, were convicted after trial or the proceeding was proved in their absence.

TRANSPORT

High Speed 2 Railway Line

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the business case for the Y-shaped route for High Speed 2 (a) with and (b) without the section of line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the economic benefits of the section of the High Speed 2 line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong;
	(3)  what estimate his Department had made of the incremental cost to benefit ratio of the section of the High Speed 2 line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong.

Robert Goodwill: The Strategic Case for HS2 published on 29 October 2013 sets out the business case for proceeding with HS2. It shows that the Y-shaped network including the section between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong is expected to deliver around £2.30 of benefits (including Wider Economic Impacts) for every £1 spent. The Department has not estimated the case for the Y-shaped route for High Speed 2 without this section of line.
	However, analysis undertaken by HS2 Ltd suggests that additional works would be required on the west coast main line (WCML) if this section of line were not built, to enable equivalent service levels to Preston and Scotland. The cost of this work was estimated to be almost equivalent to the cost of the high speed line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong.
	The Department has not made a full estimate of the economic benefits of the section of HS2 between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong. However, preliminary analysis undertaken by HS2 Ltd suggested that this section of the line could provide benefits of the order of £1.2 billion and revenue of around £600 million.
	Therefore the section of line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong is likely to offer very high value for money when compared against the alternative connection at Crewe and associated WCML modification work.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the section of the High Speed 2 line between Winterbottom and Bamfurlong.

Robert Goodwill: The estimated construction cost for the Winterbottom to Bamfurlong section of the route is £360 million. This part of the route consists of three sections:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 HSM12 110 
			 HSM21 185 
			 HSM22 65 
		
	
	Detailed estimates of the cost of land and risk will be determined at a later stage of development.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost of analysing alternatives to the High Speed 2 scheme was (a) up to and including 11 March 2010 and (b) after that date.

Robert Goodwill: The cost of contracts to undertake analysis of strategic alternatives to HS2 prior to 11 March 2010 was £350,000.
	The cost of the contracts to undertake analysis of strategic alternatives after 11 March 2010, to date, is £475,000.

Invalid Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Article 9 of the European Regulation on the Sound Level of Motor Vehicles requires acoustic vehicle alerting systems for mobility scooters.

Robert Goodwill: The new European regulation on the sound level of motor vehicles does not apply to mobility scooters. In the UK mobility scooters must comply with the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 when driven on public roads or footpaths. This does not require acoustic vehicle alerting systems, however, an audible warning device must be fitted.

Tyres

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the mandatory fitting of all-weather tyres to new cars.

Robert Goodwill: The Government does not consider that mandating a particular type of tyre on new vehicles best serves consumers interests as tyre choice has the potential to influence vehicle performance such as fuel consumption. In order to allow consumers to compare the relative performance of tyres at the point of sale, tyre labelling has been introduced across the European Union. Wherever there is a choice of tyres available with a new vehicle, retailers are required to supply relevant information to consumers in a standardised format to help make an informed decision in relation to tyres fitted to their vehicle.

Tyres: Snow and Ice

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what analysis or research his Department has conducted or commissioned on the benefits of the application of winter tyres to (a) motor cars, (b) commercial passenger vehicles and (c) heavy goods vehicles to road safety;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the benefits of applying winter tyres to motor vehicles.

Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport has not commissioned analysis or research in relation to winter tyres. The Government considers that it is for individual drivers to make decisions about tyre choice rather than the Government intervening. Tyres designed specifically for driving in snow and ice conditions are available throughout the UK. However, the drivers decision to fit special tyres is influenced by a number of factors including driving conditions, types of journeys undertaken, the cost of purchasing season specific tyres, storing the original set of tyres and the practicality of refitting them when conditions improve.
	The Department has no plans to raise awareness of winter tyres currently. However, the Highways Agency publish guidance via their website encouraging motorists to be prepared for driving in severe weather conditions. This can be found on their website:
	http://www.highways.gov.uk/traffic-information/seasonal-advice/make-time-for-winter/be-prepared-is-your-vehicle-ready-for-winter/

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Boilers: Somerset

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will provide a list of approved installer organisations able to install new oil boilers in Somerset under the Green Deal and energy company obligation schemes.

Gregory Barker: An approved list of Green Deal installers can be found by following the link below. Green Deal assessors and providers can also be found on the same website:
	http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/find-a-green-deal-supplier/advanced?clear=true&DECC=true
	There is not a separate list of approved energy company obligation installers but many Green Deal installers also carry out installation work under the Energy Company Obligation scheme.
	Consumers can also call the Energy Saving Advice Service on 0300 123 1234 and they will provide the names of three local suppliers.

Carbon Emissions

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the UK's carbon intensity in each year until 2030.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not publish projections of carbon intensity. They publish projections of emissions and energy demands to 2030 annually. The latest projections are in the document "Updated Energy and Emissions Projections 2013—Annexes A, B and C".

Energy

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average annual spend on energy per household in each public electricity supply region for households paying (a) in arrears and (b) by pre-pay meter.

Gregory Barker: Average gas and electricity bill estimations by pre-payment meter for 2012 in each public electricity supply (PES) region are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Region Gas Electricity 
			 East Midlands 830 490 
			 Eastern 827 488 
			 London 835 490 
			 Merseyside and North Wales 827 516 
			 North East 818 491 
			 North West 827 502 
			 Northern Scotland 819 517 
			 South East 828 486 
			 South Wales 831 526 
			 South West 827 517 
			 Southern 833 494 
			 Southern Scotland 819 495 
			 West Midlands 834 496 
			 Yorkshire 828 489 
		
	
	These data are taken from Tables 2.2.3 and 2.3.3 of DECC's publication Quarterly Energy Prices (QEP), assuming an annual consumption of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas. Provisional annual bill estimates for 2013 will be published in December's edition of QEP on 19 December 2013.
	DECC does not hold data on energy prices or bills for households paying in arrears. Data on the level of energy debt in households is made available by Ofgem through their 2012 annual report on Domestic supplier's Social Obligations:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84390/domesticsupplierssocialobligations2012annualreport.pdf

Energy: North West

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of what the average household (a) gas and (b) electricity bill was in the North West public electricity supply region in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: Average annual household gas and electricity bill estimates for the North West public electricity supply (PES) region are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Gas Electricity 
			 2008 618 425 
			 2009 687 411 
			 2010 661 398 
			 2011 718 452 
			 2012 795 478 
		
	
	These data are taken from Tables 2.2.3 and 2.3.3 of DECC's publication Quarterly Energy Prices (QEP), assuming an annual consumption of 3,300 kWh for electricity and 18,000 kWh for gas. Provisional annual bill estimates for 2013 will be published in December's edition of QEP on 19 December 2013.

Forests

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Gregory Barker: At the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) conference in Warsaw in November, agreement was reached on the ‘Warsaw Framework for REDD+’ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). This package of decisions included the REDD+ methodological rulebook, co-ordination of support, and REDD+ results-based finance. The Warsaw Framework for REDD+ sets out the rules around how to measure, report and verify emissions reductions, the process for the technical assessment of reference levels, national forest monitoring systems, information systems for safeguards, and drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.
	In Warsaw the UK joined Norway and the US, to pledge a total of $280 million for the new BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes. This includes £75 million (about $120 million) of the UK's International Climate Finance, up to $135 million from Norway, and $25 million from the US. The fund is the first of its kind; a public-private partnership which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by addressing the key drivers of deforestation, particularly agricultural production.

Fuel Poverty

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the fuel poverty gap was in each of the last five years; and what recent assessment he has made of a potential fuel poverty gap in each of the next five years.

Gregory Barker: DECC have recently announced the intention to adopt the new Low Income High Costs (LIHC) indicator to measure fuel poverty, based on the recommendations from Professor Hills' independent review.
	Under the LIHC indicator a household is considered fuel poor if they have above average fuel costs and were they to spend that amount on fuel, they would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line. The difference between a household's required fuel costs, and what these costs would need to be for them not to be in fuel poverty is referred to as the fuel poverty gap.
	The gap for each household can be summed to produce an aggregate fuel poverty gap, which gives an understanding of the national scale of the issue.
	The following table shows the number of fuel poor households in England, together with the aggregate fuel poverty gap under this new measure, from 2007 to 2011.
	
		
			  Number of households (Thousand) Aggregate fuel poverty gap (£ million): Real terms 
			 2007 2,357 904 
			 2008 2,438 957 
			 2009 2,486 1,060 
			 2010 2,474 1,024 
			 2011 2,390 1,047 
		
	
	There is necessarily a time lag to allow for national survey data collection in order to produce fuel poverty statistics. As a result, at present there are no reported figures for 2011 and 2012. The Government will publish updated figures in the next Fuel Poverty National Statistics Report in 2014.
	Projections of the fuel poverty gap in 2011 and 2012 are available in this year's Fuel Poverty National Statistics Report, published in August of this year.(1)
	No estimates of the fuel poverty gap have been made to date for each of the next five years. The Government has set out longer term projections of the fuel poverty gap in the recent strategic framework on fuel poverty—Fuel Poverty: A Framework for Future Action in July.(2)
	(1) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk.government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226985/fuel_poverty_report_2013.pdf
	(2) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuel-poverty-a-framework-for-future-action

Nuclear Power

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the amount of energy generated from nuclear power in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the UK in each month from January 2010.

Michael Fallon: The annual figures in the table show the amount of electricity generated from nuclear power during 2010 and 2011. Monthly figures for each country are not published. The 2012 figures will be published in the December 2013 edition of Energy Trends at 9:30 am on Thursday 19 December 2013 and will be available on the DECC statistics webpage:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-trends
	
		
			 Electricity generated from nuclear power 
			 GWh 
			  2010 2011 
			 England 41,315 46,725 
			 Scotland 15,293 16,892 
			 Wales 5,532 5,364 
			 Northern Ireland — — 
			    
			 UK 62,140 68,980 
			    
			 Source: December 2012, Energy Trends: www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-trends

Recruitment

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of staff recruited to his Department since 5 May 2010 were (a) men and (b) women.

Gregory Barker: In the period 5 May 2010 to 30 November 2013, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has recruited (a) 54% men and (b) 46% women as civil servants.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was redeemed under feed-in-tariffs in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in 2013.

Gregory Barker: Data on payments made to feed-in tariff generators are published by Ofgem and are available up to the end of June 2013. This shows that between 1 January and 30 June 2013 £259 million was paid to FIT generators in Great Britain (The FIT scheme does not cover Northern Ireland). A regional breakdown of this data is not available.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the level of installed offshore wind capacity in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) the UK in each quarter since January 2010.

Gregory Barker: Quarterly installed offshore wind capacity figures for each of the UK countries from the end of 2010 Q4 (as well as for the UK as a whole from the end of 2009 Q4) can be found in DECC's Energy Trends table ET 6.1, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewables-section-6-energy-trends
	In addition, the following tables gives a country breakdown for 2009 Q4 to 2010 Q3:
	
		
			 Offshore wind installed capacity, as at end of quarter (MW) 
			  2009 Q4 2010 Q1 2010 Q2 2010 Q3 
			 England 701 701 701 1,001 
			 Scotland 100 100 190 190 
			 Wales 150 150 150 150 
		
	
	There is no offshore wind capacity in Northern Ireland.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local radio stations in Portsmouth broadcast on DAB.

Edward Vaizey: There are five local stations in Portsmouth broadcasting on DAB—Heart, Capital, Gold, Wave 105 and Jack FM.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of (a) Hampshire and (b) Portsmouth South constituency that is covered by DAB radio reception of comparable quality and range to FM coverage.

Edward Vaizey: The coverage in Hampshire of the UK-wide DAB multiplexes is as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  Indoor coverage Outdoor coverage 
			 BBC multiplex 93 97 
		
	
	
		
			 National commercial multiplex 99 100 
			 Note: Ofcom has adopted robust criteria for defining the extent of indoor and outdoor DAB coverage, such that reception is available for 99% of the time and in 99% of outdoor locations and 80% to 95% of indoor locations. This compares with FM, which is planned for reception being available for only 50% of the time and in 50% of locations (both indoor and outdoor). More details on the criteria are available in Ofcom's DAB coverage planning: report to Government published in May 2012. http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/coverage/dab-coverage/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dab-coverage-report Source: Ofcom Infrastructure Report 2013 
		
	
	Ofcom have not calculated the aggregate coverage of local DAB multiplexes within administrative county boundaries or within parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance her Department will provide to help local radio stations to switch to DAB in (a) Portsmouth South constituency and (b) the UK.

Edward Vaizey: Government recognises the importance of local commercial radio stations to the communities they serve and is committed to reserving part of the FM spectrum as a platform for local and community radio stations, for as long as it is needed. DCMS officials are also working with Ofcom to consider the potential options for smaller local stations to migrate to digital in the lead up to and after a future switchover. We are encouraged by the recent research Ofcom has carried out on software enabling small scale DAB transmissions, which has been successfully trialled in Brighton.

Flexible Working

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in her Department make use of compressed hours arrangements as part of the Civil Service's flexible working hours scheme (a) above and (b) below director level.

Helen Grant: The Department is committed to trying to help our people achieve a balance between work and outside life. All employees are able to request flexible working arrangements via their manager. As arrangements are made at a local level the Department does not keep central records on numbers of people working compressed hours or any other kind of flexible working arrangement.

Rugby: World Cup

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department plans to take to tackle ticket touting during the 2014 Rugby World Cup.

Helen Grant: We are in very regular contact with the CEO of England Rugby 2015 and her team and have provided advice on a range of options available to them to manage the risk of ticket touts at venues. We have also encouraged them to look at ways to make tickets available both for rugby fans, as well as those interested in attending a rugby match for the first time, through their club structures and other mechanisms. We are therefore pleased to see that half a million (of the 2.3 million tickets) will go on sale through RFU member clubs next May.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Overseas Territories

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the UK companies that participated in the UK—Overseas Territories Business Forum on 28 November 2013.

Mark Simmonds: The companies that participated in the forum are as follows:
	ABM UK Ltd
	Acorn Capital
	ADDCO Ltd
	Anglo Energy Refining Corp
	Apex Capital Introduction Services
	Ardour Solutions Ltd
	Argo
	ARL Comms
	Associated Foreign Exchange Ltd (AFEX)
	Atlantic Star Airlines
	Atonement Ltd
	Baker Almond
	Barclays Capital
	BC Associates
	Bechtel Ltd
	Blackbird Marcomms
	Blue Mantle Partners
	blur Group
	British Chambers of Commerce
	British Expertise
	British Photovoltaic Association
	Business Integration Partners
	CaribDirect
	CDC Group
	Channel Advantage
	Clean Rivers Trust
	Cluff Geothermal Ltd
	Clyde & Co LLP
	Cogent Resource Consulting
	Commonwealth Business Council
	Commonwealth Institute for Infrastructure Development
	Connaught Interiors Ltd
	Conyers Dill & Pearman
	Core Mining
	Council of British Chambers of Commerce
	Dart Enterprises Contracting Company
	Debut Contemporary
	DeCharles Consulting
	Developing Markets Associates
	DMTG Global Inc
	Drinking Water Solutions
	Eco Capital
	ED&F Man
	Entrust Resources Group
	Envoi
	Equator Ltd
	Ethical Progress Ltd
	Everton Philips
	Fairwinds
	fDi Intelligence
	First Magazine
	Fortus Management Partners
	Gibraltar Finance
	Global Advantage London
	Harvey Nichols
	HEART International
	Henley Investments
	Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership
	High Latitudes Hotels
	Homestrings
	HSBC
	Imara Asset Management Limited
	Independent
	IntREAN
	Invest Realty UK PLC
	Island Analysis
	Isocon Engineering
	ITA Global Trust
	Jamaica-UK Trade and Investment
	JLB Shipping
	Jogmec
	Jonesboro Property Management Ltd
	Jordan Boats & CNC
	k4 Innovations
	Kingsley Napley
	Latchways plc
	Learned Lion Partners
	Leisure Dreams Ltd
	Lennox Paton
	Liberty Care
	Lightsource Renewables
	Linear Investments
	LLB Global Investment Group
	Mace International Ltd
	Maidmoor
	Mantis Marketing
	MAPPS Consortium
	MCT Exports Ltd
	MEC International
	Mesira Ltd
	MI & Associates
	MONTGOLD Capital
	Moteriba Terminals & Logistics
	Motion Media Ltd
	MWAI
	Nataim UK Ltd
	Nedbank Capital
	New Worlds
	Nortons Group
	NuVision Abroad Ltd
	Omega Structural Systems Ltd
	Orb Synergy
	Parkfleet Consultancy & Services Ltd
	Pathway Caribbean Ltd
	PeriPeri
	Plantir Ventures
	Plaza Holdings Ltd
	Polar Bus
	Premier Oil
	Richard James International
	Rider Levett Bucknall
	Riverview Chambers
	Rose and Crown Ltd
	Rothschild Corporate Advisors
	Science Work Plc
	Shelco
	Sinclair Knight Merz
	Solar Green Tourism
	Speechly Bircham
	SpilledINK
	St Marks Capital
	Standard & Poors
	Stikeman-Elliot LLP
	Strand Media Consulting
	Syzygy Renewables
	TASC
	The Carbon Trust
	The Law Society
	The Penny Group
	The Rainbow Interchange Ltd
	The Terre Initiative Ltd
	Thomson Reuters
	Trovus
	UHNW Global Investment Consultant
	UK Export Finance
	Unique PR
	Upsolar
	Urban Space Management
	Virtual Assistant
	Walkers Law Firm
	Westwood Marketing and Design Consultancy
	WHEB Partners
	White Bridge
	WYG Group
	Zamin Advisors AG

International Organisations

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which international organisations of which the UK is currently a member (a) accept and (b) do not accept applications for membership by aspirant members which are still legally part of another state but whose population has voted to secede from that state.

David Lidington: The UK is a member of a very large number of international organisations. If all possible dimensions of UK membership are considered, this could potentially run into several hundred or even thousands. The information requested is not held centrally and collating this information would incur disproportionate cost. We have looked at the membership requirements of the following international organisations:
	UN
	NATO
	OECD
	Council of Europe
	Commonwealth.
	None of these organisations would consider applications for membership on the basis of prospective statehood until that statehood has been achieved.

Iran

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Iranian government on the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), pressed Foreign Minister Zarif on Iran's poor human rights record in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2013. We have not discussed this specific case since her stoning sentence was suspended in 2010. The appointment of a non-resident Chargé d’Affaires tasked with implementing the building of relations will give us a channel for more detailed and regular discussions with Iran—including on human rights issues.

Iran

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Ministers in his Department have held with Israeli ministers since the announcement of the Iran nuclear agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: Since 24 November, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had discussions with the Israeli Minister for Strategic and Intelligence Affairs.

Iran

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the human rights situation in Iran, (b) discrimination against women and religious minorities in that country and (c) the resolution recently adopted by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on this matter.

Hugh Robertson: The human rights situation in Iran remains dire. Women continue to suffer discrimination under Iranian law and religious minorities continue to be denied their religious freedoms. The UK lobbied hard for the resolution on the human rights situation in Iran by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly on 19 November, and I strongly welcome its adoption.

Iran

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold talks with his Iranian counterparts aimed at amending Article 13 of the 1979 Iranian Constitution to include other religious minorities.

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised Iran's poor human rights record with Foreign Minister Zarif in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2013. The appointment of a non-resident Chargé d'Affaires tasked with implementing the building of relations will give us a channel for more detailed and regular discussions with Iran-including on human rights issues.

Israel

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 17 December 2012, Official Report, column 573W, on Israel, what recent representations he has made to the Israeli government about forced evictions inside Israel under the Prawer Plan.

Hugh Robertson: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, column 594W.

Spain

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Spanish government has undertaken to perform to ensure that British diplomatic bags are not searched again.

David Lidington: We have received an explanation from the Spanish regarding the opening of British bags containing official correspondence and communications and are reassured that we will not see a repeat of these actions. We expect Spain to comply both with the principles underlying the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the principle of State immunity.

World Trade Organisation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when those countries who were not founder members of the World Trade Organisation, formerly known as the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, first made their application for membership; what the period for time was which expired between the application being made and being accepted; what the period of ratification was of each such agreement; and what the duration was between lodging the application and becoming a member in each case.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Information relating to the accessions of those members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that were not founder members of the WTO is in the public domain and can be found on the WTO website at
	http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/completeacc_ e.htm#alb
	The website shows the membership dates of new members since 1995 and contains links to documents relating to their accession.
	In each case, the date of application can be found in the relevant working party report and the date of acceptance (adoption) in the relevant decision of the General Council.
	An applicant country’s government is normally allowed three months for ratification after signing the Protocol of Accession. 30 days after the applicant government notifies the WTO Secretariat that it has completed its ratification procedures the applicant government becomes a full member of the WTO.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Pollution: Greater London

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 296W, on air pollution: Greater London, what solutions to London's air quality problems were discussed or agreed; and what agreement was reached about which body will meet the cost of EU fines for infractions of the Air Quality Directive in London.

Dan Rogerson: At their meeting on 1 May, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was updated on the Mayor's measures to improve air quality in London. DEFRA officials have also had regular discussions with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London on measures to reduce transport pollution in London.
	With respect to EU infraction fines, the Government published (in July 2012) a policy statement on part 2 of the Localism Act 2011 concerning the handling of EU infractions and localism. This sets out arrangements for apportioning of fines, should this be necessary. The UK is not subject to infraction fines in relation to air quality and therefore it has not been necessary to come to agreements regarding this.

Charitable Donations

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage its employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries.

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA is committed to encouraging employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries using Payroll Giving. Information on how employees can do this is publicised on the DEFRA intranet as part of the Department's wider benefits statement. Core DEFRA is currently developing a communications strategy to better publicise the wider benefits on offer to employees including Payroll Giving.

Food: Waste

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made towards achieving the EU target of reducing food waste by 50 per cent by 2025.

Dan Rogerson: There is no formally agreed target within the EU to reduce food waste. However, in the UK we reduced total household food waste by 15% between 2007 and 2012. This has been achieved despite an increase of 4% in the number of UK households.

Marine Conservation Zones

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for judicial review have been notified to his Department in relation to the designation of marine conservation zones.

George Eustice: DEFRA has not been notified of any applications for judicial review in relation to the designation of marine conservation zones.

Sea Fish Industry Authority

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the future of levy funding of the Sea Fish Industry Authority.

George Eustice: In August the Sea Fish Industry Authority, Seafish, consulted the industry by publishing a notice in the London, Edinburgh and the Belfast Gazettes outlining its intention to reduce the levy charged on landing most fish and shellfish in the UK and maintaining the current lower rate for cockles, mussels, whelks, pelagic fish and fishmeal. Industry stakeholders have now responded and Seafish has written to the four Fisheries Administrations with the outcome of that discussion. The Administrations are preparing a joint response.

Sea Fish Industry Authority

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable he has set plans for the triennial review of the Sea Fish Industry Authority.

George Eustice: Triennial Reviews are an important means by which Government ensures that the functions and form, of non departmental public bodies remain appropriate and that they are compliant with best practice on governance and financial and other controls. We are considering the timing of the next review of the Sea Fish Industry Authority as part of the preparation of a programme of Triennial Reviews for the period 2014-17.

Veterinary Medicine: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the lessons for the UK of the government of France's National Plan for the Reduction of the Risks of Antibiotic Resistance in Veterinary Medicine; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: The priorities of the French National Plan (Ecoantibio 2017), aimed at their livestock, animal health and veterinary pharmaceutical sectors, are broadly similar to those outlined within the UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy; improving infection prevention and control practices; promotion of antibiotic stewardship; developing alternatives to antibiotic use; improving surveillance of antibiotic use and levels of resistance; and strengthening international collaboration. However, the UK takes a 'One Health' approach to slowing down the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, ie spanning people, animals, agriculture and the wider environment, thereby reflecting the EU Commission Action Plan published in November 2011.
	Variations in the structure of veterinary practice and the livestock industries in the two countries mean that aspects of the French model may not be applicable to the UK. However, lessons can be learned from the outcome of the varying approaches taken by other EU member states with regards to impact on public health and on animal health and welfare. The Government will continue to consider these, and other aspects of the emerging evidence base, and will look to use such data to inform the ongoing development and implementation of national activities to deliver the goals outlined within the UK AMR Strategy.

Veterinary Medicine: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons his Department does not monitor veterinary use of antibiotics.

George Eustice: For the past 14 years, in response to recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has collected, collated and published figures on UK sales volumes of active antimicrobial ingredients in products authorised for use in animals. The reports from 1998-2004 were based on sales data provided voluntarily by the veterinary pharmaceutical companies marketing these products, in the UK. However, from 2005, veterinary pharmaceutical companies have been required by the Veterinary Medicine Regulations 2005 to provide sales data on products for which they have Marketing Authorisations.
	It is reasonable to assume that there is a correlation between the reported quantities of product sold and those used in animals in the UK. However, collection of sales data presents significant limitations with regard to data analysis and interpretation, in particular in determining the antibiotic quantities sold for use in different animal species.
	The Government is exploring potential pathways to obtain more accurate data on antibiotic consumption in animals, in order to monitor responsible use in the veterinary sector. This has been highlighted in the recently published cross Government Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013-18. Detailed outcome measures are being developed for the Strategy, which include the examination and reduction of overall antibiotic use through responsible and appropriate prescribing.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) mean and (b) median waiting time to been seen was in (i) type 1 and (ii) all accident and emergency departments in each quarter of the last six years.

Jane Ellison: There are three measures of waiting times in the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for accident and emergency (A&E). These are time to assessment; time to treatment; and time to departure. The information requested is shown in the following tables. Data on average waiting times for Type 1 accident and emergency departments are only available from January 2008. Final data for 2012-13 are not yet available.
	
		
			 Mean(1) and median(1) duration to assessment(3) for attendances at accident and emergency departments (type l(2) and all types) from January 2008 to March 2012 in England 
			 Minutes 
			   Type 1 All types 
			  Quarter Mean Median Mean Median 
			 2007-08 April to June (6)— (6)— 47.8 7 
			  July to September (6)— (6)— 51.2 6 
			  October to December (6)— (6)— 54.5 7 
			  January to March (6)— (6)— 56.0 7 
			 2008-09 April to June 77.8 9 64.8 7 
			  July to September 62.9 7 59.0 7 
			  October to December 54.8 9 57.9 7 
			  January to March 52.1 8 61.3 8 
			 2009-10 April to June 84.0 10 79.8 9 
			  July to September 85.8 11 77.6 9 
			  October to December 82.5 10 75.2 9 
			  January to March 77.5 10 74.2 9 
			 2010-11 April to June 62.2 9 60.9 9 
			  July to September 67.2 10 65.3 9 
			  October to December 67.3 10 66.4 10 
			  January to March 68.5 10 65.4 10 
			 2011-12 April to June 39.4 9 38.8 9 
			  July to September 34.6 8 33.5 8 
			  October to December 30.4 8 29.5 8 
			  January to March 31.3 8 30.5 9 
			 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre. 
		
	
	
		
			 Mean and median(1) duration to treatment(4) for attendances at accident and emergency departments (type l(2) all types) from January 2008 to March 2012 in England 
			 Minutes 
			   Type 1 All types 
			  Quarter Mean Median Mean Median 
			 2007-08 April to June (6)— (6)— 83.8 49 
			  July to September (6)— (6)— 83.0 47 
			  October to December (6)— (6)— 93.4 51 
			  January to March (6)— (6)— 102.6 50 
			 2008-09 April to June 123.8 56 112.4 54 
			  July to September 107.6 52 114.7 53 
			  October to December 115.4 61 116.4 56 
			  January to March 118.9 60 119.1 57 
			 2009-10 April to June 109.1 60 105.8 56 
			  July to September 107.6 58 102.3 53 
			  October to December 104.8 61 102.4 57 
			  January to March 95.8 57 97.0 54 
			 2010-11 April to June 95.3 61 100.9 58 
			  July to September 91.9 59 99.4 57 
			  October to December 92.7 61 100.3 59 
			  January to March 93.8 60 93.0 57 
			 2011-12 April to June 84.3 61 78.3 55 
			  July to September 80.0 56 73.7 50 
			  October to December 80.7 58 74.1 51 
			  January to March 81.7 59 75.4 53 
			 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre. 
		
	
	
		
			 Mean and median(1) duration to departure(5) for attendances at accident and emergency departments (type l(2) and all types) from January 2008 to March 2012 in England 
			 Minutes 
			   Type 1 All types 
			  Quarter Mean Median Mean Median 
			 2007-08 April to June (6)— (6)— 125.9 110 
			  July to September (6)— (6)— 128.9 110 
			  October to December (6)— (6)— 134.5 116 
		
	
	
		
			  January to March (6)— (6)— 132.9 114 
			 2008-09 April to June 130.6 119 133.8 114 
			  July to September 130.0 119 129.9 112 
			  October to December 143.0 131 141.1 121 
			  January to March 146.5 130 140.2 121 
			 2009-10 April to June 139.6 129 131.1 119 
			  July to September 137.9 127 129.2 116 
			  October to December 148.1 137 139.2 127 
			  January to March 148.3 136 140.0 127 
			 2010-11 April to June 142.2 133 139.6 125 
			  July to September 143.7 134 141.8 125 
			  October to December 153.9 143 151.4 135 
			  January to March 158.1 143 150.6 134 
			 2011-12 April to June 149.7 141 136.9 125 
			  July to September 146.1 137 133.5 120 
			  October to December 153.8 144 139.0 125 
			  January to March 158.2 147 143.2 129 
			 (1 )Mean and Median: The mean (average) and median (middle in ranking when all values are sorted in order) duration in minutes to assessment, treatment or duration. (2 )Type 1: A consultant-led 24-hour service with full resuscitation facilities and designated accommodation for the reception of A&E patients. (3 )Duration to assessment: This is the total amount of time in minutes between the patients' arrival and their initial assessment in the accident and emergency (A&E) department. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is initially assessed. (4 )Duration to treatment: This is the total amount of time in minutes between the patients' arrival and the start of their treatment. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient began treatment. (5 )Duration to departure: This is total amount of time spent in minutes in an A&E department. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is discharged from A&E care. This includes being admitted to hospital, dying in the department, discharged with no follow-up or discharged and referred to another specialist department. (6 )Not available. Notes: 1. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. 2. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in NHS practice. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES); Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have waited longer than four hours in accident and emergency departments in the last 12 months.

Jane Ellison: Data on performance against the operational standard that 95% of patients attending accident and emergency (A&E) departments should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of their arrival are collected and published on a weekly basis, by NHS England. In the 52-week period starting week ending 2 December 2012 up to and including week ending 24 November 2013, 1,003,825 patients waited longer than four hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged. There were 21,707,018 attendances in the same period, meaning 95.4% of patients waited under four hours.
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre Hospital Episodes Statistics show that in 2011-12, the most recent period for which final statistics are available, the average (mean) waiting time to assessment at accident and emergency departments (all types) was 33.1 minutes. The mean waiting time to treatment was 75.4 minutes, and to departure was 138.2 minutes. The average (median) waiting time to assessment was eight minutes, the median to treatment was 52 minutes and to departure was 125 minutes.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the Transitional Risk register's warning on the link between the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and accident and emergency performance.

Jane Ellison: Risk registers are project management tools which articulate possible risks. They record the risk assessment process and the actions which need to be taken to mitigate those risks.
	The Department's Transition Risk Register has not been published. However a review of the risks contained in the November 2010 Transition Risk Register was published in May 2012. ‘Transition Programme Risks: Review of November 2010 risk register’, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, refers on page 10 to accident and emergency performance as an indicator of quality of care and outlines the actions the Department took to ensure performance in the national health service was maintained throughout transition.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase staffing levels in emergency medicine.

Daniel Poulter: We have tasked Health Education England to consider how we can improve the structure and skill mix of the emergency medicine work force to deal with long-standing shortages in staff at both consultant and trainee levels. Along with the Emergency Medicine Taskforce, we are considering a number of options, such as increasing the non-doctor work force and the number of emergency nurse practitioners.
	The overall growth in the medical work force has kept pace with the increase in attendances over the past three years. We recognise there is a need to ensure this is sustained.

Acute Beds

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the number of days lost in discharges from the acute sector.

Norman Lamb: In October 2013 there were 78,424 days lost in the acute sector due to delayed transfers of care. In 2012-13, the most recent year for which we have complete information, there were 1,251 fewer days lost in the acute sector due to delays attributable to local authority adult social care compared to the previous year.
	Better, more joined-up health and social care is a major priority for the Government. In 2013-14 the national health service will provide £0.9 billion to support social care services, rising to £1.1 billion in 2014-15. In 2015-16 we will introduce a £3.8 billion pooled budget for better care, so that people get the care they need when and where they need it. Local NHS organisations and local authorities will need to have joint plans in place from April 2014 to drive improvements in 2014-15.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital (a) once, (b) twice, (c) three times and (d) four times or more with (i) a condition directly attributable to alcohol and (ii) another alcohol-related condition in each year since 2008.

Jane Ellison: The following table contains the sum of the estimated alcohol-related admissions to hospital once, twice, three times and four times or more with a condition wholly attributable to alcohol for 2009-10 to 2012-13.
	The information is not available in the format requested for 2008-09.
	
		
			 Sum of estimated alcohol admissions to hospital once, twice, three times and four times or more with a condition wholly attributable to alcohol for 2009 -10 to 2012-13 
			 Number of admissions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 1 127,228 136,110 141,249 137,053 
			 2 23,116 25,053 26,397 25,559 
			 3 8,558 9,208 9,926 9,729 
			 4 10,815 11,860 12,845 12,322 
			 Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) 
		
	
	It is not possible to estimate how many people were admitted to hospital once, twice, three times and four times or more with alcohol-related conditions that are not wholly attributable to alcohol. Estimates of the number of admissions involving conditions that are not wholly attributable to alcohol are made by applying information from research about the percentage of instances of that condition that can be attributed to alcohol. However, it is not possible to infer reliably from the information available centrally how many instances of patients who have been admitted to hospital a number of times with such conditions, were alcohol-related.

Care Quality Commission

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish details of every warning notice issued by the Care Quality Commission since 2010-11.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of Health and Adult Social Care and it is responsible for assessing whether providers are meeting the standards of safety and quality.
	The CQC has provided the following information:
	It is the CQC's practice to publish information on its website about warning notices it has served, once the registered provider has had the opportunity to make representations about it, as is their legal right, and where those representations have not been upheld. In addition to publishing on the CQC website, the CQC routinely publicises, in the form of a press release or a note to editors, enforcement action such as warning notices, it has taken against large hospitals or providers where failure to meet standards has had a significant impact on people's care, unless the provider makes successful representations. Where the CQC has taken enforcement action such as warning notices, a red cross appears against the provider's profile on the CQC website.

Care Quality Commission

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Care Quality Commission is required to inform him when it issues a warning notice.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of Health and Adult Social Care and is responsible for assessing whether providers are meeting the standards of safety and quality. The CQC is not required to inform the Secretary of State when it issues a warning notice.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of foetal alcohol syndrome were reported in the last five years for which figures are available.

Jane Ellison: The following table contains the number of finished consultant episodes (FCE) where there was either a primary or secondary diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome in England.
	Please note that these figures are not a count of people as the same person may have had more than one episode of care within any given time period.
	
		
			 Number of FCEs(1) with either a primary or secondary diagnosis(2) of fetal alcohol syndrome(3) for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13(4) 
			  FCEs 
			 2008-09 233 
			 2009-10 212 
			 2010-11 247 
			 2011-12 310 
		
	
	
		
			 2012-13 313 
			 (1) Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Number of episodes in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis The number of episodes where this diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once, even if the diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record. (3) ICD-10 diagnosis code ICD-10 diagnosis code used: Q86.0 Foetal alcohol syndrome (dysmorphic) (4) Assessing growth through time (In-patients) HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Notes: 1. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. Health and Social Care Information Centre liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 2. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)

General Practitioners: Fareham

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are registered with each general practitioner surgery in Fareham constituency; what the capacity of each surgery is; and how many such surgeries are oversubscribed.

Daniel Poulter: Information is not collected centrally on capacity or oversubscription. Information on list size is not available in the format requested. The closest geographical boundary to the question is the area covered by NHS Fareham and Gosport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre has information on the number of patients registered with a general practitioner surgery, where the surgery participates in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
	The following QOF information, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, includes practice list sizes supplied to QMAS (Quality Management and Analysis System) from Systems and Service Delivery (SSD), the national general practice payment system, as at 1 January 2013.
	The sum of the practice list sizes for the practices included in the QOF publication estimated to represent over 99.0% of registered patients in England (based on the registration data from the Prescription Services Division of the NHS Business Services Authority).
	
		
			 Practice code Practice name List size 
			 J82006 Gosport Medical Centre 8,636 
			 J82012 Portchester Practice 8,578 
			 J82023 The Whiteley and Locks Road Surgeries 13,172 
		
	
	
		
			 J82026 The Centre Practice 14,655 
			 J82033 Gudgeheath Lane Surgery 8,379 
			 J82044 Jubilee Surgery 9,163 
			 J82083 Stoke Road Medical Centre 8,507 
			 J82084 Bury Road Surgery 4,299 
			 J82100 Forton Medical Centre 10,179 
			 J82104 Stubbington Medical Practice 13,400 
			 J82113 Waterside Medical Centre 11,804 
			 J82127 Brune Medical Centre 8,502 
			 J82133 Brockhurst Medical Centre 4,317 
			 J82152 Bridgemary Medical Centre 8,655 
			 J82154 The Highlands Practice 15,779 
			 J82161 Westlands Medical Centre 10,313 
			 J82174 Lockswood Surgery 13,941 
			 J82215 The Lee-On-The-Solent Medical Practice 6,170 
			 J82216 Brook Lane Surgery 10,862 
			 J82648 Manor Way Surgery Suite B 4,833 
			 J82669 Rowner Health Centre 6,815 
			 Total NHS Fareham and Gosport CCG 200,959

Health Professions: Registration

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what governance arrangements professional bodies are required to meet before being approved on the accredited voluntary register by the Professional Standards Authority.

Daniel Poulter: The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care has provided information about the standards in governance which an organisation must demonstrate it complies with in order to obtain accreditation by the PSA of the organisation's voluntary register. This information is contained in the PSA's document “Accredited Voluntary Registers: Standards for organisations holding a voluntary register for health and social care occupations”. Standards 2 and 7 of this document specifically refer to the governance standards which an organisation must demonstrate before the PSA will accredit the organisation's voluntary register. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.

Health Professions: Registration

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has given clinical commissioning groups and other bodies responsible for the commissioning of NHS services the ability to ensure commissioned services are performed by practitioners registered either with the Health and Care Professions Council or the Accredited Voluntary Register where appropriate.

Jane Ellison: While there are no specific requirements in legislation for commissioners to ensure that practitioners are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council or the Accredited Voluntary Register, they do have the ability to make such checks.
	In exercising their commissioning functions, clinical commissioning groups and NHS England are under duties to seek improvement in the quality of services they commission, including improvement in the outcomes achieved, and to exercise those functions effectively. These obligations are set out in the NHS Act and also reflected in regulations.

Health Services

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many telephone conversations he has had with chief executives or chairs of (a) NHS trusts and (b) NHS foundation trusts in the last month.

Daniel Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has regular discussions with chief executives and chairs of both NHS and NHS foundation trusts, both in person during weekly hands-on visits to trust sites, or via the telephone.

Health Services

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times he has met the chief inspectors of (a) hospitals, (b) social care and (c) GPs since July 2013; and what issues he discussed with each.

Daniel Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has met the chief inspector of hospitals on a regular basis since July 2013, primarily to discuss the Government's response to the Francis inquiry. He has also held meetings with the chief inspector of general practice and the chief inspector of adult social care during that period.
	The Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb), has held an introductory meeting with the chief inspector of adult social care.

Health Services

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times he has met the chief executive or chair of (a) the Care Quality Commission, (b) Monitor, (c) NHS England and (d) the NHS Trust Development Authority since June 2013; and what issues he discussed with each.

Daniel Poulter: Ministers regularly meet the chief executives and chairs of these organisations, and other delivery partners, to discuss a wide range of issues touching on our responsibilities for the health and care system.

Health Services: Overseas Students

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) average cost per student and (b) total cost to the NHS of treating international students studying at UK universities in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 to date.

Jane Ellison: In 2012-13, the total gross expenditure on non-European economic area (EEA) students in the national health service in England is estimated to be approximately £430 million, with an estimated average cost per head of £713. The number of non-EEA students present in England on any one day is estimated to be approximately 600,000.
	In 2012-13, the total gross expenditure on EEA students in NHS England is estimated to be approximately £120 million with an estimated average cost per head of £588. The number of non-EEA students present in England on any one day is estimated to be approximately 190,000.
	To note that students referred to above could be studying at different types of institutions such as higher education institutions and further education colleges.
	The Department does not have data for 2013-14.

Hepatitis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of potential variations in access to treatments for hepatitis B and C in England.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) produces information for NHS England and local health services to use in assessments of the local provision of services. In particular The Atlas of Variation on hepatitis diagnoses provides data that can be used as an indicator of levels of treatment. PHE also produce regular hepatitis reports, which whilst focusing on screening and diagnosis also provide information on treatment. Health services can also make use of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hepatology 2010 report showing variations in hepatitis C treatment. Because incidence of hepatitis, in particular hepatitis B, is higher in some areas than others there will be local variations as to the level of service provision.

Hepatitis: Greater London

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of treatments for hepatitis B and C in London.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) produces information for NHS England and local health services to use in assessments of the local provision of services. In particular The Atlas of Variation on hepatitis diagnoses provides data that can be used as an indicator of levels of treatment. PHE also produce regular hepatitis reports, which whilst focusing on screening and diagnosis also provide information on treatment.
	Health services can also make use of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hepatology 2010 report showing variations in hepatitis C treatment. Because incidence of hepatitis, in particular hepatitis B, is higher in some areas than others there will be local variations as to the level of service provision.
	This is a matter for local clinical commissioning groups who should follow the National Institute for Care Excellence guidance on the provision of treatments for both hepatitis B and C.
	We are advised by NHS England that local commissioners are not aware of any variation in the availability of treatments for hepatitis B and or C in London.

Maternity Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the proportion of pregnant women who are given the contact details of a named midwife whom they can contact with any concerns;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure pregnant women receive continuity of care throughout their pregnancy and the postnatal period;
	(3)  what progress his Department has made on ensuring that women have a choice of where to give birth;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure appropriate support is available during the first three years of parenthood, from pregnancy until a child turns two.

Daniel Poulter: Information on the proportion of pregnant women who are given the contact details of a named midwife who they can contact with any concerns is not held centrally.
	As set out in the Mandate from the Government to NHS England, the Government expects NHS England to work with partner organisations to ensure every woman has a named midwife who is responsible for ensuring she has personalised, one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period, including additional support for those who have a maternal mental health concern.
	The Mandate from the Government to Health Education England states that Health Education England should work with NHS England and others to ensure that sufficient midwives and other maternity staff are trained and available to provide every woman with personalised one-to-one care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and during the postnatal period.
	The NHS Choice Framework for 2013-14 sets out the choices women can expect in maternity services and states that these will depend on what is best for them and their baby, and what is available locally.
	Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning maternity services that improve choice of place of birth, continuity of care and women's experience of care. Maternity services should reflect local needs and circumstances and be integrated with other local services, whilst also benefiting from national support to secure improvements in quality and choice.
	NHS England has established Maternity and Children Strategic Clinical Networks to advise commissioners, reduce unwarranted variation in service delivery and encourage innovation. Strategic Clinical Networks will develop key relationships with other networks and organisations, such as clinical senates, and assist commissioners in ensuring best value for money in addition to improving choice, the quality of care and outcomes for patients.
	In 2012-13, more than 100 maternity wards and birthing centres across the country benefitted from a £25 million fund to pay for huge improvements to birthing environments, including nine brand new midwifery-led units. This investment is making a big difference to the experience that women and families have of NHS maternity services, with more choice and better environments where women can give birth.
	Community midwives and health visitors provide immediate postnatal care, which should respond to physical, psychological, emotional and social needs of women and their family in a structured and systematic way. Health visitors are at the forefront of delivering the Healthy Child Programme, for pregnancy and the first five years of life, the key evidence-based universal public health service for improving the health and well-being of children, through health and development reviews, health promotion, parenting support, screening and immunisation programmes. Effective implementation of the programme should lead to strong parent-child attachment and positive parenting, care that helps to keep children healthy and safe and identification of factors that could influence health and wellbeing in families.
	To achieve this, we are committed to having an extra 4,200 health visitors in post, by 2015.
	To support health professionals in delivering the Healthy Child programme and interacting effectively with families, the Department has, in conjunction with its partners, developed tools and models that support the development of the public health contribution of health visitors and midwives which can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/collections/developing-the-public-health-contribution-of-nurses-and-midwives-tools-and-models

Mental Health Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the per capita spend on mental health services in (a) Portsmouth South constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England was in each of the last five years.

Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested. The following tables provide information on reported investment in mental health services covering the areas requested. Prior to 2013-14, primary care trusts were responsible for commissioning services to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of national and local priorities.
	
		
			 Reported investment for working age adults—England 
			 £ million 
			  Total reported investment 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 Total 6,628,570.71 6,550,146.26 6,001,114.96 5,849,105.67 5,512,262.49 
		
	
	
		
			 Reported investment for working age adults—Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust 
			 £ million 
			  Total reported investment 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 Total 20,650.21 24,372.34 24,192.05 23,035.24 17,447.38 
		
	
	
		
			 Reported investment for working age adults: mental health—Hampshire Primary Care Trust—NHS Hampshire(1) 
			 £ million 
			  Total reported investment 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 Total 83,870.67 80,875.19 75,346.67 73,958.18 69,363.01 
			 (1 )The figures from 2009-10 onwards are for NHS Hampshire, not Hampshire PCT. 
		
	
	
		
			 Reported investment per head of weighted working age population—South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) 
			 £ 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 Total 192.4 185.3 177.18 173 174 
		
	
	
		
			 Reported investment per head of weighted working age population—England 
			 £ 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 England average 198.3 195.9 193.4 181.0 169.47 
			 Notes: 1. These surveys were commissioned annually by the Department of Health from Mental Health Strategies and published on the Department's website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-in-mental-health-in-2011-to-2012-working-age-adults-and-older-adults 2. These survey figures were based on details submitted by each organisation on their reported investment in services and consequently may not match actual outturn figures reported in annual their accounts. 3. The surveys were non-mandatory and includes some estimated data. 4. Data covers services provided for working age adults (aged 18-64). Sources: National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2011-12 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2010-11 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2009-10 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2008-09 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2007-08.

Methylphenidate

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for methylphenidate in (a) England and (b) the UK in each year since 1995.

Norman Lamb: Information on the number of prescriptions issued is not available, only on the number of prescription items written and dispensed. Dispensing information is held for England only. The following table provides the number of methylphenidate hydrochloride prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England, for each complete calendar year since 1995.
	
		
			 Number of methylphenidate hydrochloride prescription items written in the UK and dispensed in the community in England, 1995-2012 
			  All methylphenidate hydrochloride listed in British National Formulary 4.4 “CNS stimulants and drugs used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” (thousand)(1, 2) 
			 1995 14.7 
			 1996 47.9 
			 1997 92.1 
			 1998 126.6 
			 1999 158.0 
			 2000 186.2 
			 2001 208.5 
			 2002 254.0 
			 2003 314.5 
			 2004 359.1 
			 2005 389.2 
			 2006 456.9 
			 2007 535.3 
			 2008 573.4 
			 2009 610.2 
			 2010 661.5 
			 2011 714.8 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 786.4 
			 (1) Methylphenidate is prescribed as methylphenidate hydrochloride. (2) Not all items dispensed will have been for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some will have been for unlicensed indications; however, it is not possible to proportion this. Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system, The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Prescribing and Primary Care Services. All rights reserved.

MMR Vaccine

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2013, Official Report, column 154W, on MMR vaccine, what the baseline estimate of MMR coverage in 10 to 16 year olds was in each month since April 2013.

Jane Ellison: Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) coverage is only routinely collected at age two and five years. The baseline coverage was therefore estimated from annual coverage data collected between 2002 and 2008.(1)
	Coverage data at five years collected between 2002 and 2008 was used as these data would provide an estimate of coverage for those aged between 10 years (those who were five years in 2008 would be aged 10 years at the time of the start of the campaign) and 16 years (those aged five years in 2002 would be aged 16 years at the start of the campaign).
	Of English children aged 10 to 16 years in 2013, around 88.2% were reported to have received at least one dose of MMR vaccine at the age of five years. To adjust for vaccination that these children may have received subsequently, it was assumed that 30% of those recorded as unvaccinated at the age of five years had received at least one MMR by 2013.(2)( )This provided a single baseline estimate of MMR coverage in 10 to 16-year-olds of between 92% and 93% in April 2013 before the launch of the MMR catch up programme.(2)
	(1) www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HP Aweb_C/1195733783627
	(2) www.gov.uk/government/publications/calculating-mmr-coverage -ready-reckoner-tool-2013

Motor Neurone Disease

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which neurology centres NHS England has contracted to provide motor neurone disease clinics; and what NHS England's planned expenditure on these clinics is for the period to April 2014;
	(2)  how many derogations from commissioning specialised motor neurone disease clinics NHS England has issued; and which geographical areas those derogations cover;
	(3)  how many specialised motor neurone disease clinics were established by NHS England's contracting arrangements for specialised commissioning on or after 1 October 2013.

Norman Lamb: NHS England does not hold this level of detail at present. NHS England contracts with providers for specialised neurology services, of which motor neurone disease is a component.
	NHS England is in the process of reviewing all providers against the specialised neurology services specification and will publish a full report of those derogations in early 2014. Again this will be for specialised neurology, not just motor neurone disease.

NHS: Staff

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff have been transferred to private sector employers in each year since 2010-11.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold this information. Responsibility for ensuring staff are transferred in line with employment legal requirements lies between the national health service organisation transferring staff and the receiving private sector organisation.

Nurses

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the number of nurses working in the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: The Government's response to the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry, ‘Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First’, set out the expectation that from April 2014 and by June 2014 at the latest, national health service trusts will publish ward level information on whether they are meeting their staffing requirements and every six months trust boards will be required to undertake a detailed review of staffing using evidence based tools.
	The Care Quality Commission through its chief inspector of hospitals will monitor this performance and take action where non-compliance puts patient at risk of harm and appropriate staffing levels will be a core element of the Care Quality Commission's registration regime.
	Alongside the Government's response to the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, the National Quality Board and the chief nursing officer have published a guidance document that sets out the current evidence on safe staffing, and builds on the Compassion in Practice action area dedicated to ensuring the right staff, at the right time and with the right skills. This clarifies the expectations on all NHS bodies to ensure that every ward and every shift has the staff needed to ensure that patients receive safe care.

Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to regulate the pricing and purchasing of drugs by pharmaceutical companies.

Norman Lamb: There are mechanisms in place to ensure that the reimbursement prices paid by the national health service to dispensing contractors for medicines dispensed in primary care, provide value for money for the NHS in the majority of instances. The Department sets the maximum price at which companies can sell their licensed branded products through the 2009 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) and will continue to do so through the 2014 PPRS, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. The Department does not set selling prices for generic medicines. Instead, competition in the market is relied upon to keep prices down. Part VIII of the Drug Tariff lists the most commonly prescribed products with a reimbursement price that dispensing contractors will be paid. Setting a reimbursement price encourages contractors to seek lower prices and procure in a manner that is cost-effective for the NHS.
	New arrangements for reimbursing unlicensed medicines were introduced in 2011. Prices that the NHS pays for dispensing some of the most popular unlicensed medicines are listed in the Drug Tariff. Where the reimbursement price of a product has not been set, contractors are paid according to where they have sourced the product.
	The Department is working with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to see where improvements can be made when paying for products not listed in the Drug Tariff to ensure that contractors are encouraged to seek the best price so the NHS gets the best value for money.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many operations were cancelled for non-clinical reasons at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how many such operations were cancelled more than once; and what comparative assessment he has made between those figures and the national per capita average number of cancellations of operations for non-clinical reasons;
	(2)  how many operations were cancelled at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust in the most recent period for which figures are available; how many such operations were cancelled more than once; and what comparative assessment he has made between those figures and the national per capita average number of cancellations of operations for non-clinical reasons.

Jane Ellison: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Data is not collected centrally on the number of operations cancelled more than once. The national per capita average number of cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons has not been calculated. Information is available at trust level but not at hospital site level.
	The number of last minute cancelled elective operations for non-clinical reasons at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (FT) in each of the last five years and in Quarter 2 of 2012-13, the most recent period for which figures are available, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 University Hospitals Birmingham NHS FT 
			 Period Number of last minute elective operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons Number of patients not treated within 28 days of last minute cancellation 
			 2013-14 Q2 182 0 
		
	
	
		
			 2012-13 656 0 
			 2011-12 529 0 
			 2010-11 359 0 
			 2009-10 301 0 
			 2008-09 173 0 
			 Notes: 1. NHS England collects the number of operations cancelled at the Nast minute' for non-clinical reasons on a quarterly basis. It does not collect the total number of cancelled operations or a breakdown of the type of operations that have been cancelled. 2. Operations cancelled for clinical reasons are not collected as the patient is not available for the operation. 3. A last minute cancellation is defined as when a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on or after the day of admission (including the day of surgery) for non-clinical reasons. 4. NHS England also collects the number of breaches of the cancelled operations standard. A breach occurs if a patient has not been treated 28 days after a last minute cancellation. 5. Data is available at NHS trust level but not at hospital site level. A trust may comprise of one or more hospital sites. 6. Cancelled Elective Operations Data is available on the NHS England website at: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-operations/cancelled-ops-data/ Source: NHS England Quarterly Monitoring Cancelled Operations

CABINET OFFICE

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged (a) 16 or 17 and (b) 18 or over were added to the electoral register in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged (a) 16 or 17 and (b) 18 or over were added to the electoral register in each of the last ten years (178006).
	ONS does not hold the information required to provide a definitive answer to this question. ONS electoral statistics provide annual counts of the number of people on the electoral register and cannot identify the number of people added to the register in any particular year. Therefore ONS is unable to provide information on (b) how many people aged 18 or over were added to the electoral register in each of the last ten years.
	However, the number of attainers on the electoral register may provide some information about the number of people aged 16 or 17 added to the electoral register in each year. Attainers are persons who attain the age of 18 during the currency of the register and are therefore entitled to vote at an election held on or after their eighteenth birthday. The total number of attainers registered to vote in UK parliamentary elections, for each of the years 2003 to 2012, is shown in the table. Data broken down by UK constituent country and parliamentary constituency is available on the ONS website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/electoral-statistics-for-uk/index.html
	It is not possible to state that the attainer figures in the electoral statistics exactly reflect the number of persons aged 16 or 17 who are added to the register in each particular year. This is due to changes over time in local authority practice for contacting and administering people approaching 18 years of age.
	
		
			 Number of attainers registered to vote in UK parliamentary elections, UK, 2003 to 2012 
			  Total Attainers (thousand) 
			 2003 468.0 
			 2004 473.4 
			 2005 493.4 
			 2006 527.7 
			 2007 552.0 
			 2008 551.1 
			 2009 541.5 
			 2010 482.9 
			 2011 478.7 
			 2012 469.3 
			 Note: Counts of attainers are for 1 December each year. Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Electoral Office for Northern Ireland

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many voters were removed from the electoral register for reasons other than death in each of the last 10 years for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many voters were removed from the electoral register for reasons other than death in each of the last ten years for which data is available (178007).
	ONS does not hold this data. Electoral statistics provide annual counts of the number of people on the electoral register. They cannot identify the number of people removed from the register in any particular year or the reasons for which the removal was made.
	Electoral statistics for the last ten years (including the latest figures for 2012) are available from:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/electoral-statistics-for-uk/index.html

Government Departments: Foreign Workers

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of jobs to be moved offshore under the contract with Shared Services Connected Limited to provide shared services for the Department for Work and Pensions and other government bodies.

Francis Maude: The Government is determined to drive savings for the taxpayer. The strategy to transform back office operations and consolidate transactional functions across Government could help deliver between £400 million and £600 million a year in savings for the taxpayer by 2014-15. To ensure that Shared Services Connected Ltd can be a fully competitive and viable business, and grows as a powerful new company, they will be able to perform some functions overseas. The same model was adopted by a previous Government with the NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) service in 2005. SSCL has not predetermined their future delivery model.

Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make an assessment of the life satisfaction of people in the (a) bottom and (b) top quartile of earnings in each year from 2007 to the latest period for which information is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2013
	As Director General of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for an assessment of the life satisfaction of people in the (a) bottom and (b) top quartile of earnings in each year from 2007 to the latest period for which information is available (178021).
	Although ONS has collected data on life satisfaction on the Annual Population Survey (APS) since April 2011, the data are not available for the full period requested.
	However, Eurofound have recently published analysis of the European Quality of Life Survey which compares life satisfaction across European countries including the UK over the period from 2007 to 2011. They have analysed life satisfaction by a range of different variables, including income quartiles. The full report can be found at:
	http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef1359.htm
	It may also be of interest to you that ONS has undertaken regression analysis using the 2011/12 APS data which showed that, other things being equal, higher wages are associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. The full report and tables can be found on the ONS website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-national-well-being/what-matters-most-to-personal-well-being-in-the-uk-/art-what-matters-most-to-personal-well-being-in-the-uk-.html
	ONS is also planning further regression analysis in the coming year to look at the contribution that household income makes to life satisfaction.

Suicide: Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many suicides there were in Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many suicides there were in Vale of Clwyd constituency in each of the last ten years.
	Table 1 provides the number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, for people aged 15 and over, resident in Vale of Clwyd Parliamentary Constituency, for deaths registered between 2003 and 2012 (the latest year available).
	The Office for National Statistics routinely reports suicide statistics based on when a death was registered, rather than when it occurred. As suicides are certified by a coroner following an inquest, there can be a considerable delay between when a death occurs and when it is registered.
	Figures for suicides in the United Kingdom, England, Wales and regions of England are published annually on the ONS website and are available from 1981 onwards. The latest statistical bulletin also includes analysis of the impact of registration delays on UK suicide statistics:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/suicides-in-the-united-kingdom/index.html
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was suicide, Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency, deaths registered between 2003 and 2012(1, 2, 3, 4) 
			 Registration year Suicides (Number) 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 16 
			 2005 9 
			 2006 10 
			 2007 6 
			 2008 3 
			 2009 8 
			 2010 13 
			 2011 8 
			 2012 10 
			 (1) Suicide is defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 (Intentional self-harm) and Y10-Y34 (Events of undetermined intent). (2) Figures are for people aged 15 and over. (3) Figures are for people usually resident in Vale of Clwyd parliamentary constituency, based on boundaries as at August 2013. (4) Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring between 2003 and 2012. Due to the length of time it takes to hold an inquest, it can take months for a suicide to be registered in England and Wales. Further information is available on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/suicides-in-the-united-kingdom/2011/stb-suicide-bulletin.html#tab-impact-of-registration-delays-on-suicide-statistics

Unemployment

John Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of adults were unemployed in each region in (a) the most recent quarter and (b) each previous year since 2009;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of young people were unemployed in each region in (a) the most recent quarter and (b) each previous year since 2009.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2013
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking:
	a) how many and what proportion of adults were unemployed in each region in (a) the most recent quarter and (b) each previous year since 2009. 177818
	b) how many and what proportion of young people were unemployed in each region in (a) the most recent quarter and (b) each previous year since 2009. 177819
	Information regarding unemployment is available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The table shows the level and rate of unemployment in each region & country of the UK for those aged 16 and over; and for those aged 16 to 24. The unemployment rate is defined as the level of unemployment as a proportion of the economically active population. Estimates are for the three month period July to September each year from 2009 to 2013.
	The age groups and regions presented are consistent with those used in the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. The unemployment estimates for people aged 16 and over are seasonally adjusted and are published in Table A07 of the bulletin. Seasonally adjusted estimates of people aged 16 to 24 are not available on a regional basis.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. These are indicated in the tables provided. Copies of the tables will be placed in the Library of the House.
	
		
			 Unemployment in UK regions among people aged 16 and over, July to September, each year, UK, seasonally adjusted 
			  UK Scotland Wales Northern Ireland North East 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) 
			 2009 2,462 7.9 194 7.2 125 8.7 58 7.1 123 9.8 
			 2010 2,442 7.7 229 8.5 115 8.0 58 7.0 116 9.0 
			 2011 2,624 8.3 215 8.0 136 9.3 62 7.2 150 11.7 
			 2012 2,514 7.8 218 8.1 121 8.2 67 7.6 127 9.8 
			 2013 *2,466 7.6 **199 7.2 ***117 7.8 ***63 7.3 ***133 10.2 
		
	
	
		
			  North West Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands West Midlands East 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) 
			 2009 294 8.6 231 8.7 168 7.3 270 10.1 189 6.3 
			 2010 280 8.1 238 9.0 181 8.0 237 8.8 196 6.5 
			 2011 295 8.5 274 10.2 186 8.0 236 9.0 213 7.0 
			 2012 293 8.4 247 9.1 178 7.7 235 8.6 212 6.8 
			 2013 **283 8.3 **248 8.9 **166 7.1 257 9.5 181 5.8 
		
	
	
		
			  London South East South West 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) 
			 2009 369 9.1 269 6.1 174 6.6 
			 2010 368 8.9 278 6.2 147 5.5 
			 2011 401 9.7 279 6.3 177 6.6 
			 2012 372 8.7 289 6.5 155 5.8 
			 2013 376 8.7 **271 5.9 **173 6.4 
		
	
	
		
			 Unemployment in UK regions among people aged 16 to 24, July to September, each year, UK, not seasonally adjusted 
			  UK Scotland Wales Northern Ireland North East 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) 
			 2009 1,041 21.1 78 17.9 56 22.6 25 20.6 60 26.7 
			 2010 1,002 20.3 89 19.9 56 23.8 24 19.3 47 20.5 
			 2011 1,117 23.0 100 23.0 65 28.2 25 20.9 57 24.1 
			 2012 1,057 21.7 101 23.5 55 23.8 22 19.7 53 23.8 
			 2013 *1,055 21.9 ***89 20.9 ***54 22.1 ***28 24.1 ***57 26.4 
		
	
	
		
			  North West Yorkshire and the Humber East Midlands West Midlands East 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) 
			 2009 135 23.8 99 20.6 76 19.5 110 26.1 90 19.4 
			 2010 132 22.1 95 20.5 74 19.8 100 23.4 80 18.3 
			 2011 151 26.3 122 26.2 79 20.2 95 24.4 95 20.8 
			 2012 130 22.1 116 24.1 76 20.2 97 23.3 86 20.1 
			 2013 ***116 21.0 ***118 24.8 ***71 19.3 ***102 26.5 ***83 19.0 
		
	
	
		
			  London South East South West 
			  Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) Level (thousand) Rate(1) (%) 
			 2009 128 25.1 114 17.1 71 17.0 
			 2010 117 22.7 120 18.0 69 16.0 
			 2011 122 25.7 124 19.2 81 18.5 
			 2012 128 25.9 124 18.8 70 16.2 
			 2013 ***140 27.6 ***124 18.5 ***74 17.8 
			 (1) The number of unemployed people as a percentage of the economically active population. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Unemployment: Lone Parents

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many single parents were unemployed in (a) April 2010 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested fails within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated December 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many single parents were unemployed in (a) April 2010 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. 176057
	Estimates have been provided from the LFS household datasets. The estimated number of single parents aged 16 and over who have dependent children and were unemployed in the UK in April to June 2010 was 186,000 and in April to June 2013 was 204,000.
	It was not possible to provide a single month estimate for April as the LFS is a quarterly survey and household datasets are produced for the April to June and October to December quarters only. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

JUSTICE

Defamation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many libel settlements and of what value the Crown Prosecution Service made in each year between 2007 and 2012.

Dominic Grieve: I have been asked to reply.
	The Crown Prosecution Service made no libel settlements between 2007 and 2012.

Domestic Violence: Prosecutions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of cases were discontinued because the victim withdrew or changed their evidence in (a) specialist domestic violence courts and (b) cases involving domestic violence tried in other courts in each year since the introduction of specialist domestic violence courts.

Dominic Grieve: I have been asked to reply.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the numbers of domestic violence flagged cases in its Case Management System and associated Management Information System. The CPS has no central record of the number of domestic violence cases completed successfully or unsuccessfully at specialist domestic violence courts.
	The CPS defines domestic violence as any threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between those who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Family members include mother, father, son, daughter, sister, and grandparents, whether directly related, in-laws or step family. The data are accurate only to the extent that the flag has been correctly applied.
	The following table shows, for each of the last nine years in all courts, including specialist domestic violence courts, the proportion of prosecutions dropped because the victim either retracted their statement or their evidence did not support the prosecution.
	
		
			  Victim retracted or evidence does not support the prosecution/as a percentage of all DV prosecutions (percentage) 
			 2004-05 13.8 
			 2005-06 13.2 
			 2006-07 12.8 
			 2007-08 11.6 
			 2008-09 10.1 
			 2009-10 10.2 
			 2010-11 10.2 
			 2011-12 9.2 
			 2012-13 8.6 
		
	
	Prosecutions dropped represent all cases in which the CPS decided to drop proceedings before evidence was heard by the court. Included are cases discontinued s23 Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, cases withdrawn at court, those in which no evidence was offered, and those in which either the prosecution or indictment was stayed.

Euthanasia

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which Directorate in his Department has responsibility for the (a) formulation and (b) implementation of policy on euthanasia and assisted dying; how many officials in his Department at each pay band are employed in this Directorate; what other posts in his Department each such official has held; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the Assisted Dying Bill [Lords]; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what (a) representations he has received from and (b) discussions he has had with hon. and right hon. Members seeking to (i) repeal and (ii) clarify the provisions of the existing law on the prohibition of assisted suicide since October 2012; what response he gave to such representations; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will make a statement on the Assisted Dying Bill [Lords];
	(5)  how many and what proportion of the representations the Prime Minister received (a) supported and (b) opposed the Assisted Dying Bill [Lords]; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: The law in this area is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and representations to the Prime Minister are generally transferred to this Department for a response.
	Within the Ministry of Justice, policy responsibility sits with the Law, Rights and International Directorate in which there is a total of 105.5 full time equivalent posts. The work on assisted dying, including litigation, is covered primarily by one band B official (who spends about half her time on the subject) with support from one band A official, one SCS official and the Legal Directorate. The relevant officials have each held a number of other posts in the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office.
	The Government's view is that any change to the law in this emotive area is an issue of individual conscience and a matter for Parliament to decide, rather than for Government policy.
	The Government will take a collective view on the Assisted Dying Bill in order to respond to the debate at Second Reading. We have received copies of an analysis of the Assisted Dying Bill prepared by the Living and Dying Well organisation which opposes the Bill; and a letter to the Prime Minister, in response to that analysis, from the Bill's sponsor, my noble Friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton, and other parliamentarians who support the Bill. We have also received a copy of a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister from the CARE charity which opposes the Bill. Neither the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), nor I have had discussions with hon. Members and right hon. Members specifically about the Bill or more generally.
	The Department regularly receives correspondence from hon. Members and right hon. Members on behalf of constituents who support or oppose relaxation of the law in this area. We also regularly receive such correspondence direct from members of the public. Sometimes letters refer to specific developments such as the Assisted Dying Bill; more often, they express a general view on whether or not the law should change. We do not collect information on the proportion of representations for and against change.
	In response to all representations received, we make clear the Government's view that this is a matter for Parliament.

Forest Bank Prison

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contract failures there have been at HM Prison Forest Bank in each year since it opened; what those failures were; and what financial penalties were attached to each such failure.

Jeremy Wright: Performance points accrued and reasons for performance points accrual applied for quarterly measured and annually measured performance points at HMP Forest Bank for contract periods 2004-05 through to 2012-13 are detailed in table 1 as follows. The financial remedies applied are detailed for contract periods 2010-11 through to 2012-13.
	Performance reporting is based on quarterly and annual submissions in line with contract-specific timelines.
	Performance data/records pre 2004 are not available, which was prior to the arrival of the current controller. The associated financial remedies data/records are not available prior to 2010, due to a changeover in financial systems.
	Note: quarterly and annual performance measures are not comparable year on year. Performance points and financial remedies criteria may be varied from quarter to quarter or year to year. For example, actual performance measures, method of calculation, performance point weightings, credit point weightings, performance point targets etc., may be varied in response to changes in service provision.
	The data presented in table 1 is based on total number of performance points accrued for the relevant periods. This does not take into account credit points awarded to the contractor and offset against total performance points for the period. Financial remedies are only applicable when performance point baseline targets are exceeded for the period.
	Performance points are essentially about operational efficiency, and do not represent a risk to public safety.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			   Q1(2) Q2(2) Q3(2) Q4(2) Annual(2) 
			   Points(1) Value (£) Points(1) Value (£) Points(1) Value (£) Points(1) Value (£) Points(1) Value (£) 
			 2004-05            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 10 - 10 (3)- 0 - 5 - 87 (3)- 
			  Incidents 30 - 10 (3)- 0 - 0 - 272 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Total 40 - 20 (3)0 0 - 5 - 359 (3)0 
			             
			 2005-06            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 5 - 10 (3)- 5 - 5 - 42.5 (3)- 
			  Incidents 10 - 0 (3)- 0 - 20 - 266 (3)- 
		
	
	
		
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Total 15 - 10 (3)0 5 - 25 - 308.5 (3)0 
			             
			 2006-07            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Incidents 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 365 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Total 0 - 0 (3)0 0 - 0 - 365 (3)0 
			             
			 2007-08            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 5 - 0 (3)- 5 - 0 - 60 (3)- 
			  Incidents 0 - 50 (3)- 0 - 0 - 110 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Total 5 - 50 (3)0 5 - 0 - 170 (3)0 
			             
			 2008-09            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 0 - 10 (3)- 45 - 10 - 0 (3)- 
			  Incidents 50 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 171 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Total 50 - 10 (3)0 45 - 10 - 171 (3)0 
			             
			 2009-10            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 5 - 20 (3)- 10 - 40 - 325 (3)- 
			  Incidents 20 - 50 (3)- 0 - 0 - 134 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 - 0 (3)- 0 - 0 - 0 (3)- 
			  Total 25 - 70 (3)0 10 - 40 - 459 (3)0 
			             
			 2010-11            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 20 (3)- 50 (3)- 10 (3)- 55 (3)- 0 (3)- 
		
	
	
		
			  Incidents 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 164 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 
			  Total 20 (3)30,000 50 (3)0 10 (3)13,881 55 (3)4,119 164 (3)0 
			             
			 2011-12            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 10 (3)- 10 (3)- 35 (3)- 10 (3)- 100 (3)- 
			  Incidents 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 150 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 
			  Total 10 (3)0 10 (3)0 35 (3)0 10 (3)0 250 (3)0 
			             
			 2012-13            
			 Forest Bank Failure to comply with procedures 60 (3)- 70 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 
			  Incidents 25 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 20 (3)- 185 (3)- 
			  Failure to comply with prison regime 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 0 (3)- 
			  Total 85 (3)0 70 (3)0 0 (3)0 20 (3)0 185 (3)0 
			 (1) Total points accrued. Note, data excludes credit points awarded. Financial penalties only apply if baseline targets exceeded. (2) Periods relate to Contractual Periods not Financial Periods. (3 )Indicates brace.

Prisons: Employment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many hours a week of purposeful activity prisoners have been (a) expected to do and (b) recorded as completing in each prison in England and Wales in each month since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Work in prisons remains a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully while they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.
	Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.
	The number of prisoners working in industrial activity in public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours.
	In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.
	Figures are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf
	The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Please note that figures you have requested are only available up until March 2012. Purposeful activity was formerly a performance indicator for prisons, but was discontinued at the start of 2012-13. The indicator was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the information.
	Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Sexual Offences: Prosecutions

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many adults have been prosecuted under section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since it came into force;
	(2)  how many children have been prosecuted under section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year since it came into force.

Jeremy Wright: Our laws in these areas are robust and clear. The Government takes very seriously all matters relating to the sexual abuse of children and also any material which may appear to be derived from or to encourage such activity. The protection of society’s most vulnerable remains a Government priority.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, by age breakdown in England and Wales from 2003 to 2012 (the latest available), can be viewed in the table.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for offences under section 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003(1), by age, England and Wales, 2004-12(2,3) 
			  2004(4) 2005 2006 2007 2008(5) 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 10 to 17 (children) 31 95 111 122 115 142 115 128 118 
			 18 and over (adults) 53 142 174 178 202 303 342 319 330 
			 (1) Sexual Offences Act 2003, s5: Rape of a female child under 13 by a male Rape of a male child under 13 by a male Attempted rape of a female child under 13 by a male Attempted rape of a male child under 13 by a male. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. (5) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

DEFENCE

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where British training for Burmese army soldiers will take place in 2014.

Mark Francois: The Tatmadaw (the Burmese Army) remain a key political force in Burma, therefore we seek to encourage them to support democratic reform through our influence and with education.
	The first educational course that the UK will provide to the Tatmadaw will take place in January 2014. A civil-military team from the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, in collaboration with Cranfield University, will deliver a course called Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context. This course will be delivered to approximately 30 students, drawn from Government and the Burmese military and it will be delivered in Burma at commercial premises. Currently, there are plans for an individual from the Tatmadaw to attend a similar course that will take place at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom later in the year.

Military Bases: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of defence reforms on military bases in Northern Ireland.

Andrew Murrison: The plan for rebasing the Regular Army following its structural reorganisation under Army 2020 was announced by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) on 5 March 2013, Official Report, columns 845-48; he then announced plans for the Army Reserve on 3 July 2013, Official Report, columns 924-25.
	These announcements detailed the basing requirements across the UK which will support the Army in its future role. This does not remove the need for prudent management of the defence estate which will continue.
	The Army is committed to maintaining its regular and reserve presence in Northern Ireland in line with the announcement made.
	Royal Navy and Royal Air Forces basing in Northern Ireland remains unchanged as a result of the defence reforms.

Veterans: Employment

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many early service leavers found stable employment within (a) one month, (b) six months and (c) one year of leaving the armed forces, in the last five years for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: Before the implementation of an Early Service Leavers (ESL) initiative on 1 October 2013 no data about subsequent employment was collected. Information will be available in due course as ESL enrol in the new scheme and are tracked for six months after discharge.
	Previously, those who left before completing four years’ service (often without completing training) were only signposted to support services. However, following the positive evaluation earlier this year of the 2012 Forces in Mind Trust Future Horizons Programme pilot in Catterick (the ESL initiative) it was decided to implement and roll out the scheme widely. ESL now have access to transition support by being offered a more “needs-based” level of service, providing them with financial, housing and employment support, including linking them to a Jobcentre Plus.

Veterans: Mental Health

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department plans to support the Royal College of Psychiatrists' proposal to promote a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2015 in support of veteran's mental health; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) very much supports initiatives that are intended to raise public awareness of the mental health of serving personnel and veterans. MOD officials would be happy to discuss the Royal College of Psychiatrists proposal with them, should they wish.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Engineering

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many under 19 year olds (a) started and (b) completed an apprenticeship in engineering in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012 and (iv) 2013 to date.

Matthew Hancock: Final data on apprenticeship starts and achievements by age and sector subject area for the 2009/10 to 2011/12 academic years and provisional data for the full 2012/13 academic year are available here:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/A3798E84-B03D-4237-8569-545B6B5D47AC/0/Oct2013_ApprenticeshipStartsbySectorSubjectAreaLevelAqe.xls
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CD7C249E-C407-4776-81C5-4BCCA2CC18D6/0/June2013_ApprenticeshipAchievementsbySectorSubjectAreaLevel Age_revised.xls
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/Apprenticeships/

Business: Regulation

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the report from the Business Taskforce entitled Cut EU red tape, published in October 2013.

Michael Fallon: The Government welcomes the Taskforce's report, the 30 specific recommendations for reforming EU law, and the COMPETE principles, which should apply to all new EU legislation.
	The Government will continue to press the EU to implement the recommendations in the Taskforce's report. In particular, we want to see early action to reform rules on chemicals (REACH), clinical trials, and interchange fees.

Charitable Donations

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage its employees to make tax-free donations direct from their salaries.

Jo Swinson: BIS has a tax free donation (Payroll Giving) scheme in place. Information is available on the BIS intranet setting out how employees can set this up, and the benefits of donating in this way. A recent HR Fair in BIS provided a platform to encourage employees to consider making a donation through our scheme.
	The Government response to a recent consultation on Payroll Giving stated
	‘we will promote Payroll Giving across Government Departments'.
	We envisage taking forward this work in the coming year in BIS with a focus on further communicating the benefits of the scheme to employees.

Higher Education: Admissions

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the National Scholarship Programme on access to universities for students from low-income backgrounds.

David Willetts: In June, following the spending review, we signalled that the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) would cease after 2014-15.
	On 28 November 2013, Official Report, columns 19-20WS, we announced that we are reducing the Government's planned contribution to the NSP in 2014-15 from £150 million to £50 million. At the same time, we have removed the £1,000 cap on the amount of an award that may be received in the form of cash. This will make the programme more flexible for students in this transition year. We are also reducing the minimum level of award for full time students to £2,000 from £3,000, meaning that 100,000 students could still receive an award.
	We said we would review the scheme in the light of evidence and evaluation. We have listened to students and partners who have said that the scheme is not effective in promoting access. Independent evaluation of the NSP has shown that only a minority of potential students and current recipients of NSP awards say that the possibility of receiving financial aid had a positive impact on their decision making. Further exploration revealed that concerns about finance are not sufficient to deter many students.
	The main source of financial help for students entering higher education is the Government's statutory support package. Further help is available for disadvantaged students from Institutions under the terms of the institution's access agreement with the Office for Fair Access.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department has had with the Student Loans Company on the projections and trends in student support for students studying with alternative providers during academic year 2012-13.

David Willetts: The Student Loans Company provides the Department with monthly management information reports on student numbers and payments made in relation to students studying at alternative providers. These reports enable the Department to monitor on a monthly basis trends in support for students at alternative providers.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students enrolled at private colleges have had their loans halted in academic year 2013-14 to date.

David Willetts: As of 22 November, 10,308 students who have applied for maintenance support for their study at alternative providers have had their student support payments suspended.

Higher Education: Vocational Guidance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to require higher education institutions in England to make data available to prospective students on the availability of jobs in fields relevant to the courses they offer.

David Willetts: In 2011 the Government asked higher education institutions to make available the Key Information Set (KIS) to help prospective students make more informed choices about higher education. KIS, launched in September 2012, provides comparable information on over 35,000 undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges-in the areas that students have identified as most useful. This includes data on the salaries and employment outcomes of previous students on a course, the most common jobs of previous graduates and whether the course has been accredited by a professional body. KIS is available via a link from each university course page and through the Unistats national comparison website
	http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/
	This was updated in September 2013 with a number of improvements including mobile phone access.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 16 October 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr K Joslin.

Jo Swinson: According to our records, we have not received a copy of the letter referred to. If the right hon. Member would forward a copy, we will respond as a matter of urgency.

Overseas Students: Work Experience

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of work experience opportunities for university students in the UK on the attractiveness of UK universities to international students.

David Willetts: A recent qualitative study published by BIS, in September 2013, ‘The Wider Benefits of International HE in the UK’, highlighted that:
	The overwhelming majority of international students studied in the UK with the long term goal of making a success of life in their own country, but many felt that the option to work in the UK for a period post-graduation would consolidate and maximise the impact of their higher education (HE) study.
	Some of the most powerful impacts were identified by those who had widened their activities off-campus in the form of volunteering, employment (including post-study) or other social or cultural activity.
	There were perceptions among international students that recent amendments to visa restrictions reduced employment opportunities, thus reducing the attractiveness of the UK as a HE destination.
	The Government recognises the importance of work experience for students and our visa regime is flexible enough to allow overseas students to undertake work experience that is required as part of their course.
	International students at HE institutions with degree-awarding powers can also work part time during term time and full time during vacations outside of their course. It is for individual universities to decide how they work with businesses to help students acquire related skills and knowledge, and how they present such opportunities as part of their student recruitment activities.

Public Expenditure

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the current budget is for his Department for 2012-13 to date; what the spend against profits has been for the months for which figures are available; and what the current projection is for spend against budget for the year end.

Jo Swinson: As set out in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Annual Report and Accounts for financial year 2012-13, the total budget was £27,967 million. The total outturn was £26,247 million. BIS does not make profits and therefore it is not possible to provide spending figures by month against profits.

Science: Finance

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the allocation of funding was for his Department's science budget in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and whether it is his policy that that budget will be ring-fenced in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

David Willetts: The Department published allocations for the periods concerned in the booklet “The Allocation of Science and Research Funding 2011-12 to 2014-15” (20 December 2010):
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allocation-of-science-and-research-funding-2011-12-to-2014-15
	These allocations maintain a ring-fence around Science and Research resource budgets for the periods concerned.

Students: Disability

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken with universities to increase support for those studying with disabilities.

David Willetts: Universities have clear duties and responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support disabled students and ensure that disabled students do not face discrimination or less favourable treatment while applying to, and studying in, higher education. The detailed decisions of how an institution will comply with legislation and, more broadly, support disabled students will be determined by the institution itself within the requirements of the law.
	The Government provides substantial financial help through disabled students' allowances (DSAs) for English-domiciled students with a disability or long-term health condition. DSAs are paid in addition to the standard student support package. They do not depend on income and do not have to be repaid. In 2011/12 53,300 students received £125.1 million of DSA funding. Maximum allowances under DSAs are increasing by 1% for the 2014/15 academic year.
	The Government also provides funding to HE institutions, through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, to help them recruit and support disabled students. In the 2013/14 academic year that support rose to £15 million, compared to £13 million in the previous year.

Students: Disadvantaged

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he is considering measures to reduce grants available to students from low-income backgrounds.

David Willetts: Decisions on the student support package for 2015/16 will be made and announced in the new year in line with the usual timetable.

Students: Fees and Charges

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what changes in assumptions were made when his Department revised its estimate of the RAB charge to 35 per cent;
	(2)  what changes to assumptions on (a) forecast earnings data and (b) historic track records on repayment collection were incorporated in his Department's revision of the RAB charge up to 35 per cent;
	(3)  whether his Department's latest RAB charge estimate incorporates the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2013 earnings forecast.

David Willetts: We use the latest independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) short-term and long-term macroeconomic forecasts from March 2013 to calculate the RAB charge. These are published under the following URL:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/category/publications/
	Changes to estimates of earnings growth, inflation and Bank of England base rates will all have an impact on the calculation of the RAB charge. We also use loan account data provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC) to ensure that the RAB charge is calculated using the most up-to-date loan account information available. The revision of the RAB charge to 35% is attributed to new OBR forecasts being published and to updates in the loan account information provided by the SLC.

Students: Fees and Charges

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the upward adjustment of the RAB charge included an adjustment to take into account the eight per cent historic underestimates of repayment.

David Willetts: The revision of the RAB charge can be attributed to updates in the OBR short-term and long-term economic forecasts, and to updates in the loan account information provided by the SLC. It did not include an adjustment for historic differences between forecast and actual repayments.
	The model we have used to forecast future repayments has tended to overestimate the amounts due. These differences have arisen as a result of structural problems in the forecasting model, rather than any hidden inefficiency in the collections process.
	We recognise that we need to improve our forecasting and we are undertaking an extensive work programme to improve the forecasting methodology which will be delivered in spring 2014 and which will bring forecasted repayments more closely into line with actual collections. This will improve the accuracy of our valuation of the loan book. The National Audit Office referred to this work in their recent value-for-money study into student loan repayments (sections 4.14 and 4.15) which can be found under the following URL:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/10307-001-Student-loan-repayments_BOOK.pdf

Students: Loans

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what changes to forecast earnings data are incorporated in the 35 per cent RAB charge calculation.

David Willetts: We use the latest independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) short-term and long-term macroeconomic forecasts from March 2013 to calculate the RAB charge. These are published under the following URL:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/category/publications/
	Changes to estimates of earnings growth, inflation and Bank of England base rates will all have an impact on the calculation of the RAB charge. We also use loan account data provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC) to ensure that the RAB charge is calculated using the most up-to-date loan account information available. The revision of the RAB charge to 35% can be attributed to new OBR forecasts being published and to updates in the loan account information provided by the SLC.

Students: Scholarships

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the National Scholarship Programme.

David Willetts: In June, following the spending review, we signalled that the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) would cease as an undergraduate scheme after 2014/15.
	On 28 November 2013, Official Report, columns 19-20WS, we announced in a written statement to the House that we are reducing the Government's planned contribution to the NSP in 2014-15 from £150 million to £50 million. In this final year, the £1,000 cash limit will be removed to make the programme more flexible. In addition the minimum level of award will be reduced for full-time students from £3,000 to £2,000, meaning that 100,000 students could still receive an award, in line with our original estimates.
	From the savings, £25 million will be reallocated to create a locally based network to support collaborative outreach by universities, colleges and schools, reflecting the emerging findings from the national strategy for access and student success.

Vetting: Scotland

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the work of Disclosure Scotland in providing basic disclosure services so as to permit the commencement of reforms to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	We have been working very closely with the Disclosure and Barring service and with Disclosure Scotland to develop a new Basic Disclosure check that will comply with the new rehabilitation periods, including making the required technical changes. We expect to be able to confirm the implementation timetable shortly.

Work Experience

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take steps to protect interns' right to fair pay.

Jo Swinson: The Government is absolutely clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it. This includes interns.
	Already this year HMRC has issued penalties to 466 employers and have sent 200 letters to employers who have recently advertised for unpaid positions.
	In addition, new guidance was launched by the Department of Business and 4Talent on 11 November to help young people understand their rights to fair pay.
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigates every complaint made through the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline. As is the case with all workers, if any intern feels that they are not getting the minimum wage that they are legally entitled to then they should contact the helpline on 0800 917 2368. Employers can also call the helpline for advice if they are unsure of their obligations.

EDUCATION

Academies: Bradford

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many new academy and free schools based in the Bradford Education Authority area are currently applying to his Department.

Edward Timpson: There is an academy project in Bradford for a new secondary school, which is due to open in September 2015 and will be funded under the Department's targeted basic need programme. There are also eight applications from schools to convert to academy status and four schools in the process of becoming sponsored academies.
	There are two free school projects currently in pre-opening phase in Bradford. They are Dixons Free School and Khalsa Engineering Academy. One application has been received as part of the latest free school application round (Wave 5).

Arts: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to discounting codes on future take-up of (a) arts, (b) design, (c) music and (d) drama subjects.

David Laws: Discount codes are used to gather qualifications with similar content together to ensure that where pupils take more than one qualification in the same or similar subject area, the performance tables only give credit once for teaching a single course of study.
	The discount codes for the qualifications in music and music technology, and in design and technology were not changed.
	No assessment has been made of the effect of the changes to discount codes on the take up of art arid design or performing art qualifications.

Arts: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on changes to discounting codes for (a) arts, (b) design, (c) music and (d) drama subjects.

David Laws: Discount codes are used to gather qualifications with similar content together to ensure that where pupils take more than one qualification in the same or similar subject area, the performance tables only give credit once for teaching a single course of study.
	The discounting for the qualifications in music and music technology, and in design and technology were not changed.
	The Department for Education has received a small number of representations from teachers and students regarding the change in discounting for qualifications in performing arts (dance and drama) and art and design. There were also a number of responses on the discounting of performing arts, photography and art and design during the Secondary School Accountability Consultation. These responses were from sources including the Arts Council England, the Cultural Learning Alliance and the ‘Bacc for the Future’ campaign.

Arts: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to support the research-led teaching for art and design teachers in the last 12 months.

David Laws: The Government is committed to raising the profile of research and evidence in teaching in all subjects, including art and design. The Government is working with Teaching Schools and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), among others, to encourage more evidence-based practice in teaching. The EEF, which aims to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged children, is funded by a £135 million Government grant and is developing a robust and accessible evidence base on what works in education.
	The Department for Education is also working closely with subject expert groups, which bring together leading experts and subject associations. The expert groups, including the art and design group, are producing audit tools and guidance for schools to ensure that they are ready to deliver the new national curriculum. In doing so they are expected to draw on high quality evidence and research.

Arts: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to support teachers and schools to access continuing professional development in (a) arts and (b) design subjects.

David Laws: The Government is committed to raising the quality of teaching in all subjects, including art and design. Research suggests that the most effective types of professional development for teachers are collaborative, sustained, closely linked to teachers' classroom practice, and are supported by expertise. We are creating a national network of Teaching School Alliances to improve the capacity of schools to take the lead in the training and development of teachers and create more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
	The Department for Education is also working closely with subject expert groups, which bring together leading experts and subject associations. The expert groups, including the art and design group, are sign-posting appropriate professional development materials for schools to ensure that they are ready to deliver the new national curriculum.
	The new Teachers' Standards set a clear benchmark for the level of practice expected of all teachers, and provide a valuable tool to help head teachers and teachers identify and address development needs through regular appraisal.
	While we increasingly expect schools and teachers to take more responsibility for their own professional development, there are some areas where we are providing additional support. For example, we are supporting 10 Teaching Schools Alliances to develop and disseminate a broad package of cultural education professional development materials and resources for teachers.

Arts: Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to measure the effect of national teaching schools on the quality of (a) art and (b) design teaching in the last 12 months.

David Laws: While the quality of art and design teaching is not a specific criterion for the designation of teaching schools, those that want to become a teaching school must have outstanding judgments from Ofsted in quality of teaching, leadership and management and overall effectiveness.
	We will measure the success of teaching schools in two ways. Within their fourth year of designation, each teaching school will be judged on the improvements made across schools in their alliance. The evidence will contribute to a decision on whether they continue with the designation.
	In March 2013, the Department for Education commissioned a two-year evaluation of the teaching school initiative. The evaluation draws on the views of senior and middle leaders, teachers and pupils in schools with varied levels of involvement in teaching school alliances, including schools that are nearby alliances but with no direct involvement in teaching school alliances, including schools that are nearby alliances but with no direct involvement. The evaluation will also report on the possible impact of teaching school alliances on overall pupil attainment and progress and, while not being singled out, this will include qualifications in both art and design.
	Together, this will lead to a rounded view of the effect of teaching schools on the quality of teaching and outcomes for children.

Children: Day Care

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of child care places for the 40 per cent most disadvantaged two-year-olds.

Elizabeth Truss: Since 1 September 2013 local authorities have been under a statutory duty to secure a place for any eligible two-year-old. Around 92,000 two-year-olds are already accessing a place—70% of the way towards the 130,000 places planned for the first year.
	The entitlement will be extended to around 260,000 children from September 2014, which equates to 130,000 full-time places. The last Department for Education Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey reported that there were around 300,000 early years vacancies.
	The Government is putting in place a number of measures to support growth in provision across the country including:
	1. creating new childminder agencies;
	2. making it easier for schools to take two-year-olds and to offer out-of-school-hours facilities;
	3. simplifying the regulatory framework and planning rules so nurseries can expand more easily; and,
	4. improving the funding system to increase consistency across local authorities and maximise the funding that reaches the frontline.
	The Government has also provided £100 million capital funding to support a growth in high quality places and will continue to monitor take-up closely.

Education

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the report entitled One System, Many Pathways, published by the Skills Commission on 26 November 2013.

Matthew Hancock: I note the report with interest. Government reforms have set out to address many of the issues raised within the report and good progress is being made.

Education: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will allow flexible funding for local education authorities.

David Laws: The Department announced in June that in 2014-15 local authorities would continue in 2014-15 to have flexibility in deciding how to allocate the dedicated schools grant to schools in their area. For 2014-15 that flexibility has been extended to include a sparsity factor to allow local authorities to target funding at small rural schools without which pupils would have too far to travel to school.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in June that we would consult on how best to introduce a national fair funding formula for schools. The consultation will include proposals on local flexibility for 2015-16 and will be published shortly.

Kings Science Academy

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  for what reason he failed to order his Department to give the police more information in September 2013 about the fraud allegations at Kings Science Academy, Bradford when he was briefed that this possibility was raised with his Department by the police in September 2013;
	(2)  if he will publish all papers held by his Department relating to Kings Science Academy, Bradford;
	(3)  if he will publish all communications between his Department and the police concerning Kings Science Academy, Bradford between April and September 2013;
	(4)  whether his Department told Action Fraud in April 2013 that the information provided by his Department to Action Fraud about Kings Science Academy, Bradford, was an information report and not intended for a police investigation.

Edward Timpson: Officials at the Department reported the case to Action Fraud's national call centre on 25 April. An additional telephone call was made to West Yorkshire Police's Economic Crime Unit, who confirmed that this was the correct way to report fraud and that no further action was required.
	The Department supplied Action Fraud with all the critical information in the investigation report and all the information they requested. Action Fraud sent the information to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). The Department did not find further evidence of potential fraud after 25 April. It is Action Fraud who decide whether information provided should be classified as an information report or a crime report—the Department had no input into this decision. If further evidence of fraud had been found, that would also have been reported to Action Fraud.
	Having assessed the information supplied by the Department, via Action Fraud, the NFIB decided there was insufficient evidence at the time to investigate. The Department was told this when it followed up in September to see what progress had been made. Action Fraud subsequently notified the Department on 1 November that the information provided had been wrongly classified. This error has been rectified by Action Fraud and West Yorkshire police have confirmed they are now investigating.
	The Department has already published the investigation report, the review of financial management and governance at Kings Science Academy and the Secretary of State's warning notice:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/efafundingfinance/b00212647/external-assurance/academiesfraud-/investigation-reports
	The information on the potential fraud was passed to Action Fraud in April by telephone and no recording was made by the Department. Communication in September with Action Fraud was by e-mail and copies of these e-mails will be placed in the House Library.

Primary Education: Croydon

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures his Department is planning to take to address any shortfall of primary school places in the London Borough of Croydon over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: The Department for Education is investing significant amounts of funding to help local authorities across England to create new school places where they are needed.
	On 1 March 2013, we allocated just under £63.3 million to Croydon for the financial years 2013-15 to help the local authority create the additional school places that would be needed by September 2015. Croydon's pupils will also benefit from £48.7 million invested through the Targeted Basic Need programme, which will support the local authority to build five new schools and expand three existing schools, creating a further 4,090 new places by September 2015.
	This brings the total funding allocated for new school places during the period 2011-15 to £144 million, compared with £17.7 million provided to Croydon during 2007-11. In addition, three new free schools are due to open in September 2014. When full, they will provide an additional 2,410 school places in the area.
	We have improved the way that basic need funding is allocated to target money at the areas that need new school places the most. We have secured a good settlement for the next spending period which confirms the capital funding available to us up to 2021. We expect to announce further funding for Croydon and other local authorities shortly.

Schools: Bradford

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the shortfall in available school places was for those needing a school place in Bradford Education Authority area in September 2013.

David Laws: The Department collects information from each authority on school capacity in state-funded primary and secondary schools (except special schools) through the annual School Capacity Collection in the academic year of the survey. The survey also includes local authorities' own pupil forecasts (five years for primary places and seven years for secondary places). The most recent survey data relates to the position at May 2012
	(1)
	.
	(1) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=& publication_filter_option=statistics&topics% 5B%5D=schools&departments%5B%5D=department-for-education&world_locations%5B%5D=all&direction=after&date =2013-02-01
	The shortfall in available school places was not estimated for 2013, but was for the 2015/16 basic need funding allocation. At that time, Bradford local authority was forecasting a 3% shortfall in places at primary level for 2015/16 and 2% unfilled places at secondary level.
	It is the responsibility of each local authority to balance the supply and demand for primary and secondary school places in their area and secure a place for every child of statutory age who wants one. The Department has provided Bradford with £52.6 million from 2011/12 to 2014/15 to support this, nearly double the £26.9 million over the preceding four year period (from 2007/08 to 2010/11).

Schools: Bradford

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the projected increase in school places needed to meet demand in the Bradford Education Authority area will be in September (a) 2014, (b) 2015, (c) 2016, (d) 2017 and (e) 2018.

David Laws: The Department collects information from each local authority (LA) on school capacity in state-funded primary and secondary schools (except special schools) through the annual School Capacity Collection in the academic year of the survey. The survey also includes local authorities' own pupil forecasts (five years for primary places and seven years for secondary places). The most recent published survey data relates to the position at May 2012.(1)
	The data shows the number of primary places that were available at May 2012 and that Bradford LA was anticipating an increase in the number of primary pupils in each of the next five years. At secondary level, Bradford LA was forecasting an increase in pupil numbers over the next five years.
	
		
			 Primary forecasts 
			  Number 
			 2011/12 49,776 
			 2012/13 50,923 
			 2013/14 52,384 
			 2014/15 53,333 
			 2015/16 54,250 
			 2016/17 54,873 
		
	
	The LA is forecasting an increase of 9.28% in primary school pupils over the period.
	
		
			 Secondary forecasts 
			  Number 
			 2011/12 34,695 
			 2012/13 35,363 
			 2013/14 36,062 
			 2014/15 36,852 
			 2015/16 37,594 
			 2016/17 38,601 
		
	
	
		
			 2017/18 39,668 
			 2018/19 40,530 
		
	
	The LA is forecasting an increase of 14.3% in secondary school pupils over the period.
	It is the responsibility of each local authority to balance the supply and demand for primary and secondary school places in their area and secure a place for every child of statutory age who wants one. The Department has provided Bradford with £52.6 million from 2011/12 to 2014/15 to support this, nearly double the £26.9 million over the preceding four-year period (from 2007/08 to 2010/11).
	(1) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords= &publication_filter_option=statistics&topics% B%5D=schools&departments%5B%5D=department-for-education&world_locations%5B%5D=all&direction=after&date =2013-02-01

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the success of schools being responsible for providing information, advice and guidance in future careers since April 2012.

Matthew Hancock: The Government commissioned Ofsted to conduct a thematic review of careers guidance to assess the progress of schools in meeting their duty to secure independent careers guidance which has been in place since September 2012. Ofsted's report, published on 10 September 2013, highlights some examples of good practice but also shows that many schools are not implementing their duty as effectively as they should. This highlights the need for many schools to have higher ambitions for their students and to learn from the best.
	The Government has published a vision statement and an action plan outlining how we intend to take forward Ofsted's recommendations and help schools improve. Proposals include strengthening statutory guidance for schools and giving the National Careers Service a greater role in bringing employers and schools closer together. Both documents are available in the House Library.
	Ofsted's statement that they will give greater priority to careers guidance in school inspections will also encourage schools to deliver appropriate, high quality advice.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he will respond to the Skills Commission's recommendations that his Department immediately acknowledge the crisis in information, advice and guidance, and undertake a full review of provision.

Matthew Hancock: The Government commissioned Ofsted to conduct a thematic review of careers guidance to assess progress. The Skills Commission report confirms Ofsted's view that there is more to do to bring all schools up to the standard of the best. The vision statement and action plan published on 10 September set out how we are going to strengthen careers guidance and our priority is to deliver those commitments. Both documents are available in the House Library.
	We want to increase access to employers and mentors so that young people can be inspired to consider a broad range of careers. The duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance is an important step. We have extended the duty to all 12 to 18-year-olds so that more young people can access the support they need at key transition points.

Teachers: Qualifications

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent steps he has taken to ensure that the qualifications of School Direct trained teachers will be recognised abroad.

David Laws: All School Direct programmes lead to qualified teacher status for those who successfully complete their training. School Direct programmes can also lead to the award of a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) which is an internationally-recognised qualification.

Teachers: Recruitment

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many art and design teachers have been recruited through School Direct since September 2012.

David Laws: 60 art and design teachers were recruited through School Direct for 2013/14. This information is available in the Initial Teacher Training Census for the academic year 2013/14, which we have recently published(1).
	(1 )https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2013-to-2014

Teachers: Recruitment

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure high-quality arts teachers are recruited into the profession.

David Laws: We have recruited strongly to art and music in recent years; both subjects recruited their best-ever quality of trainees this autumn according to the 2013/14 Initial Teacher Training census(1). The Department's website
	www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching
	and the Teaching Line continue to offer information, support and guidance for potential arts teachers.
	(1) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2013-to-2014

Truancy: Fines

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the legal basis is for the imposition of fines on parents for unauthorised absences from school of their children;
	(2)  what right of appeal parents have against fines levied on them by schools for unauthorised absences from school of their children;
	(3)  what further penalties parents may face if they refuse to pay fines levied on them for unauthorised absences from school of their children;
	(4)  what guidance his Department has provided to education authorities, academies and free schools on the levying of fines on parents for unauthorised absences from school of their children;
	(5)  whether there is an upper limit to the fines that can be imposed on parents for the unauthorised absence from school of their children.

Elizabeth Truss: Section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 provides that it is an offence for a parent of a registered pupil at school to fail to secure their regular attendance. Section 444(1A) provides that it is an offence for a parent to knowingly fail to secure the regular attendance of a school registered pupil at school. Section 444A of the Education Act 1996 (inserted by section 23 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003) provides local authorities and schools with the power to issue penalty notices where they have reason to believe an offence has been committed under section 444 of the Education Act 1996.
	The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended), which apply to maintained schools, pupil referral units, academies and alternative provision academies (including free schools), set out the process for issuing penalty notices (fines). Each local authority must publish a code of conduct, which ensures that penalty notices are issued consistently in their area.
	A penalty notice offers a person the opportunity to discharge themselves of any liability to a conviction of an offence under section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996, to which the notice relates, by paying the fine in full and within the specified period.
	The penalty notice is £60 if it is paid within 21 days, otherwise the fine will rise to £120 and is to be paid within 28 days. There is no right of appeal by parents against a penalty notice. If the penalty is not paid in full by the end of the 28-day period, the local authority must decide either to prosecute for the original offence to which the notice applies, or withdraw the notice.
	A person guilty of an offence under section 444(1) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to £1,000. A person guilty of an offence under section 444(1A) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to £2,500 or to imprisonment of up to three months.
	Local authorities, head teachers and officers authorised to give penalty notices must have regard to the Department for Education's statutory guidance on “Parental responsibility measures for school attendance and behaviour” which can be found on the Department's website.(1)
	(1) http://tinyurl.com/p8aby9k

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which civil society organisations in Burma receive how much funding from her Department.

Alan Duncan: The DFID Burma bilateral programme is providing just over £22 million to 21 civil society organisations in Burma in 2013-14. Civil society organisations in Burma also receive DFID funding through central and regional funding streams, and through our contributions to trust funds such as 3MDG and LIFT. Details of organisations receiving funding are available on the DFID and partner websites.

Burma

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she made to the government of Burma on the need to reduce military expenditure and increase spending on health and education.

Alan Duncan: DFID is providing support to Burma's peace process which includes advising the Government on how to manage reforms in the security sector. DFID is also working with the World Bank on a public expenditure review which has a particular focus on improving spending in the health and education sectors.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which Government Departments in Burma have received assistance from, or are funded by, her Department; and what the nature of that assistance and level of that funding is.

Alan Duncan: No UK aid goes directly through central Government of Burma budgets.
	DFID funds trusted expert organisations who provide capacity-building and technical assistance to some Burmese Government Departments, as well as non-government organisations, to support reforms.
	Some examples of such assistance include:
	The World Health Organisation through the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund provides technical advice to Ministry of Health on tuberculosis and malaria control;
	UNICEF assists the Ministry of Education on improving primary education;
	UNFPA provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Immigration and Population on the 2014 census; and
	the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business works alongside the Ministry of Planning to conduct Environmental and Social Safeguard Assessments.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which companies have so far received support from the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business.

Alan Duncan: The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business has engaged with over 40 Burmese, and over 50 foreign, companies in group settings, and directly, since July 2013. These include companies in the sectors where the Centre is or will be conducting sector-wide responsible business assessments including: oil and gas, tourism, information and communication technology (ICT), and agriculture.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding her Department provides for the rehabilitation of released political prisoners in Burma.

Alan Duncan: DFID has not provided funding for rehabilitation services for former political prisoners in Burma. The UK, however, continues to provide assistance through the British Council to help former political prisoners to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence, including language skills, to take an active and effective role in the political process, perform more effectively within their organisations and communities, and engage with the diplomatic and international business community.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to prioritise the prevention of severe acute malnutrition in high-burden countries where her Department has a bilateral presence.

Lynne Featherstone: On 8 June, DFID announced that it will increase its spend on direct nutrition programmes to £375 million from 2013 to 2020. This means a significant scale up of nutrition direct programmes which will include interventions for the prevention of malnutrition.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department spent on the (a) prevention and (b) treatment of severe acute malnutrition in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department's nutrition specific spend is tracked using the OECD Development Assistance Committee input sector code Basic Nutrition 12240. Nutrition spend was £34.9 million in 2012 and £42.4 million in 2013. The data are not disaggregated between prevention and treatment.
	Nutrition spend is in addition to UK aid provided for emergency food relief of £106.5 million in 2011-12 and £145.7 million in 2012-13 which covers general food relief and includes short-term relief for targeted populations. This will include some elements of treatment of severe acute malnutrition, but it is not possible to break this down.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps her Department has taken to prevent severe acute malnutrition.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department has developed nutrition programmes to bridge the gap between short-term emergency aid and longer term nutrition programmes to prevent severe acute malnutrition. Recent examples include a new programme in Ethiopia, which will provide £36.3 million over four years to address undernutrition by delivering nutrition interventions to 3.5 million children under the age of five with increased coverage and uptake of high impact nutrition and child care interventions to prevent and treat undernutrition. A second example is a new programme in Yemen, which will provide £35 million over three years to reaching 1.65 million women and children with an integrated package of undernutrition interventions.

International Planned Parenthood Federation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding her Department plans to allocate to the International Planned Parenthood Federation for (a) abortion, (b) family planning and (c) other reproductive health services in the next 12 months; what assessment she has made of the value for money gained from previous such expenditure since June 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) will receive up to £8.6 million through a Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) for the period 2013-14, to deliver high priority, safe family planning and reproductive health services for vulnerable women and girls.
	All Programme Partnership Arrangements are expected to demonstrate value for money.

Marie Stopes International

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding her Department plans to give to Marie Stopes International for (a) abortion, (b) family planning and (c) other reproductive health services in the next 12 months; what assessment she has made of the value for money of such expenditure since June 2011; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: Marie Stopes International (MSI) will receive up to £4.35 million through a Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA) for the period 2013-14, to provide quality family planning and reproductive health care to the world's poorest and most vulnerable women.
	All Programme Partnership Arrangements are expected to demonstrate value for money.

Palestinians

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much of her Department's budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories is allocated for non-governmental, non-UN and non-Palestinian Authority programmes in East Jerusalem;
	(2)  whether development programmes for Palestinians in East Jerusalem are eligible for funding by her Department;
	(3)  what proportion of her Department's budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories is allocated for employment and training programmes in East Jerusalem;
	(4)  how much of her Department's budget for the Occupied Palestinian Territories is allocated for poverty-reduction programmes in East Jerusalem.

Alan Duncan: DFID funds programmes on poverty-reduction, employment and training throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which includes East Jerusalem. Palestinians in East Jerusalem may benefit from these programmes, but we do not make a specific allocation for East Jerusalem.

Palestinians

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when her Department last reviewed and assessed the impact of its spending in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alan Duncan: DFID reviewed its spending in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in 2010 as part of the Bilateral Aid Review process. In the time since, DFID has continued to undertake rigorous assessments of the performance of all its projects in the OPTs, including through annual performance reviews and regular monitoring throughout the year.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Housing: Sexuality

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities to cover the qualification for priority need assistance to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people over the age of 18 and with no dependants who have been forced to leave their home because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Stephen Williams: The Homelessness Act 2002 requires local housing authorities to formulate and publish homelessness strategies that set out how they will tackle and prevent homelessness in their district and consult with local groups in doing so.
	The Housing Act 1996 provides that a person has a priority need for accommodation if he or she is vulnerable for any "other special reason". The legislation envisages that vulnerability can arise because of factors that are not expressly provided for in statute. This will include any lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people who are vulnerable as a result of losing their home.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to secure the full implementation of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Stephen Williams: The recent Housing Standards Review consulted on proposals to rationalise the current plethora of housing standards delivered through the planning system, which includes the Code for Sustainable Homes. The Government is considering the responses to the consultation and will be making a statement about the way forward about future housing standards soon.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy not to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Planning and Energy Act 2008 until the Code for Sustainable Homes is fully implemented.

Stephen Williams: The recent Housing Standards Review consulted on whether the Planning and Energy Act 2008 needs to be amended or reviewed in the light of the Government's proposals to rationalise housing standards relating to the energy performance of new homes. The Government is currently considering the responses to the consultation and will be making a statement about the way forward about future housing standards soon.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Young People: Employment Schemes

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Youth Contract funding will be made available to those districts in Essex in which the number of 18 to 24-year-olds in work is less than (a) 25 and (b) 40 per cent.

Esther McVey: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Most elements of the Youth Contract delivered by DWP are available across Great Britain. This includes wage incentives via Jobcentres and Work programme providers; additional adviser support in Jobcentres; and work experience places. Sector-based work academies are available in England and Scotland. In Harwich and North Essex for the period April 2011 until May 2013 there have been 210 work experience starts, and 40 sector-based work academy pre-employment training starts.
	In the last year (July 2012 to June 2013) the employment rate of 18 to 24-year-olds in Essex is 60.9% compared to the current (July to September 2013) UK average of 57.6%.
	On 14 November 2013 the Government announced investment of up to £50 million from Youth Contract underspend to England's major cities, with the aim of helping more than 25,000 young people into sustained employment. This includes all the eight major cities in England outside of London which comprised the Wave 1 City Deal process. Funding has also been agreed to support youth employment schemes in three Wave 2 cities as part of their City Deals—Ipswich, Reading and Southampton and Portsmouth.
	Whilst Essex county council is not part of the City Deal process, Southend-on-Sea is currently negotiating as part of Wave 2 and has not indicated that tackling youth unemployment is a local priority.